Contemplation

When I first came to Bhagavan and heard him repeating constantly that everyone must eventually come to the path of self-enquiry, I wondered whether he was being partial to his own teaching, but I soon understood why he insisted that this is so. The final goal is only oneness, and to experience oneness our mind must subside, which will happen entirely only when we attend to nothing other than ourself.

So long as we attend to anything other than ourself, our mind cannot subside, because attention to other things sustains it, since that which experiences otherness is only this mind. When the mind subsides completely, only self-attention remains, and self-attention alone is the state of absolute oneness.

Bhagavan used to repeat this teaching every day, maybe ten or twenty times, but still we didn’t change. He didn’t change his teaching either, because to him this truth was so clear.

~ Ramana Maharshi
(The paramount importance of self attention / Sadhu Om – As recorded by Michael James)

Before you agree or disagree, why not investigate the very idea of a body? Does the mind appear in a body or the body in a mind? Surely there must be a mind to conceive the ‘I-am-the-body’ idea. A body without a mind cannot be ‘my body’. ‘My body’ is invariably absent when the mind is in abeyance. It is also absent when the mind is deeply engaged in thoughts and feelings. Once you realize that the body depends on the mind, and the mind on consciousness, and consciousness on awareness and not the other way round, your question about waiting for self-realization till you die is answered. It is not that you must be free from the ‘I-am-the-body’ idea first, and then realize the self. It is definitely the other way round — you cling to the false, because you do not know the true. Earnestness, not perfection, is a precondition to self-realization. Virtues and powers come with realization, not before.

~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
(I am that. Your goal is your guru)

I alone am the projector of this waker’s world (jagrad prapancha) with the help of my maya shakti. I also project a world within this world (svapna prapancha) with my nidra shakti. I can also say that I alone “appear” as the dream- objects because they are nothing but a ‘bunch of my thoughts’!
-Swami Paramarthananda
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Q: Can I engage in spiritual practice, even remaining in samsara?
(the cycle of births and deaths)

M: Yes, certainly. One ought to do so.

Q: Is not samsara a hindrance? Do not all the holy books advocate renunciation?

M: Samsara is only in your mind. The world does not speak out, saying ‘I am the world’. Otherwise, it must be ever there – not excluding your sleep. Since it is not in sleep it is impermanent. Being impermanent it has no stamina. Having no stamina it is easily subdued by the Self. The Self alone is permanent.

Renunciation is non-identification of the Self with the non-self. On the disappearance of ignorance the non-self ceases to exist. That is true renunciation.

Q: Why did you then leave your home in your youth?

M: That is my prārabdha (fate). One’s course of conduct in this life is determined by one’s prārabdha. My prārabdha is this way. Your prārabdha is that way.

Q: Should I not also renounce?

M: If that had been your prārabdha, the question would not have arisen.

Q: I should therefore remain in the world and engage in spiritual practice. Well, can I get realization in this life?

M: This has been already answered. You are always the Self. Earnest efforts never fail. Success is bound to result.

~ Ramana Maharshi
(Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Talk 251)
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OM, Oh Lord !
I Surrender my ego – Likes and Dislikes at your feet. I don’t objectify you lord but I recognize you in the form of a Single vast order that pervades my Body, Mind, Senses and the Whole Universe.
My callous behavior is within your order because of my background.
My Needs, Demands and Desires are within your order. My response to the situations and events in my daily life, Sometimes in the form of Anger, Envy or Jealousy, Hatred are all due to my background.
If I Correct myself, that is within your order.
If I Resist your order, even that is within your order. You are the one who understands me completely.
I never spring any surprise to you. Oh Lord.
You validate all my Actions and Reactions.
So in the eyes of Ishvara, I am Perfect.
Without being judgmental about myself and others, I just Keep watching what is going on in my daily life and see them as an Expression Of Ishvara as they cannot be outside his order. I relax in Ishvara

Swami Dayananda
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Time is a great myth. It is a very important myth, a significant myth. If you enquire into its content , it disappears. If time is a series of ‘nows’ – now, now, now, now – and you enquire into the content of now, now just disappears from being a length. It is no longer a length of time.
‘Now’ is not a length of time and now which is not a length of time makes a length of time. A series of ‘nows’ makes a length of time like a series of points making a line.A single point occupies no space and a series of points makes a length! This is what Vedanta is.
That there is a length, that there is time, is not something we should be weary about, because it is magic. Time is magic, and therefore , you need to enjoy the time you have got now.
A new year means you have one more year to accomplish what you could not accomplish last year. And if you have survived without accomplishing last year, this year is not going to be difficult.
Therefore just enjoy the day, the time that is there right now.
May this New Year be new all the time, fresh all the time. Getting up every day it is a new day. The New Year begins with a new day, the next day is a new day, the next day is a new day- again new day of the New Year. Then new day, new day, new day – new day. Let us keep it that way, new day….A NEW DAY…!!!

~ Swami Dayananda Saraswati
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What is the meaning of Mumuksha? – The desire to be free from the bondage of the mind. “Cittameva Samsāraḥ” The mind itself is called the world. Oh brother, the one who knows Brahman is sitting at the place where there is no Māyā, no Avidyā, neither their action nor their instruments. He is not sitting holding on to the mind. Renunciation of the mind is the renunciation of the world. Renunciation of the mind through discrimination (discernment) and detachment before the knowledge of Brahman and renunciation by negation of the mind after the knowledge of Brahman.

~ Swami Akhandananda Saraswati
(´Svetāśvataropaniṣad)

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“The mind is the cause of the objects of perception. The three worlds depend upon it. When it is dissolved the world is also dissolved. It is to be cured (i.e. purified) with effort.” Inspired by the 4th chapter of Yoga Vasishta Sara (Nectar of Supreme Knowledge), Swami Sarvapriyananda.

“When the mind is quiet, perfectly still the
waking state is no more. The quiet of the
mind is bridge to the infinite. There is
nothing to be done to reach the Truth.”

Q: You use the words ‘aware’ and ‘conscious’. Are they not the same?
M: Awareness is primordial; it is the original state, beginning-less, endless, uncaused, unsupported, without parts, without change. Consciousness is on contact, a reflection against surface, a state of duality. There can be no consciousness without awareness, but there can be awareness without consciousness, as in deep sleep. Awareness is absolute, consciousness is relative to its content; consciousness is always of something. Consciousness is partial and changeful, awareness is total, changeless, calm and silent. And it is the common matrix of every experience.

Q: How does one go beyond consciousness into awareness?
M: Since it is awareness that makes consciousness possible, there is awareness in every state of consciousness. Therefore, the very consciousness of being conscious is already a movement in awareness. Interest in your stream of consciousness takes you to awareness. It is not a new state. It is at once recognized as the original, basic existence, which is life itself, and als love and joy.

Q: Since reality is all the time with us, what does self-realisation consist of?
M: Realisation is but the opposite of ignorance. To take the world as real and one’s self as unreal is ignorance, the cause of sorrow. To know the self as the only reality and all else as temporal and transient is freedom, peace and joy. It is all very simple. Instead of seeing things as imagined, learn to see them as they are. When you can see everything as it is, you will also see yourself as you are. It is like cleansing a mirror. The same mirror that shows you the world as it is, will also show you your own face. The thought ‘I am’ is the polishing cloth. Use it.

~Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (Talks with)
‘I am That’, Pg. 27

Even when speech is suppressed, the activity of the mind still continues. All the same, silence helps control the mind. As the mind dives deeper, its activity slackens off, and then one comes to feel that He Who provides for everything will arrange matters. When the mind is agitated by thoughts of worldly things, the benefit that should be gained by abstaining from speech is lost. When the mind is centered on God, it keeps advancing steadily, and along with this emerges purity of body and mind. To let thoughts dwell on objects of the senses is waste of energy. By constantly dwelling on the thought of God all the granthis (knots) that make up ego are unraveled, and that which has to be realized will be realized.

To say ‘through silence He is realized’ is not correct, because Supreme Knowledge does not come ‘through’ anything.
Supreme Knowledge reveals itself. For destroying the ‘veil’, there are suitable spiritual disciplines and practices.

~ Anandamayi Ma
(Ashram Talk)

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Q: How should a beginner start this practice?

M: The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry ‘Who am I?’ The thought ‘Who am I?’, destroying all other thoughts, will itself finally be destroyed like the stick used for stirring the funeral pyre. If other thoughts rise one should, without attempting to complete them, enquire ‘To whom did they rise?’ What does it matter however many thoughts rise? At the very moment that each thought rises, if one vigilantly enquires ‘To whom did this rise?’, it will be known ‘To me’. If one then enquires ‘Who am I?’, the mind will turn back to its source [the Self] and the thought which had risen will also subside. By repeatedly practicing thus, the power of the mind to abide in its source increases.

~ Ramana Maharshi
(Be as you are / David Godman)
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Q: But you have often said that one must reject other thoughts when one begins the quest, but the thoughts are endless. If one thought is rejected, another comes and there seems to be no end at all.

M: I do not say that you must go on rejecting thoughts. Cling to yourself, that is, to the ‘I’-thought. When your interest keeps you to that single idea, other thoughts will automatically get rejected and they will vanish.

Q: And so rejection of thoughts is not necessary?

M: No. It may be necessary for a time or for some. You fancy that there is no end if one goes on rejecting every thought when it rises. It is not true; there is an end. If you are vigilant and make a stern effort to reject every thought when it rises, you will soon find that you are going deeper and deeper into your own inner self. At that level it is not necessary to make an effort to reject thoughts.

Q: Then it is possible to be without effort, without strain.

M: Not only that, it is impossible for you to make an effort beyond a certain extent.

Q: I want to be further enlightened. Should I try to make no effort at all?

M: Here it is impossible for you to be without effort. When you go deeper, it is impossible for you to make any effort. If the mind becomes introverted through enquiry into the source of aham-vritti [the ‘I’-thought], the vāsanās [latent desires] become extinct. The light of the Self falls on the vāsanās and produces the phenomenon of reflection we call the mind. Thus, when the vāsanās become extinct the mind also disappears, being absorbed into the light of the one reality, the Heart. This is the sum and substance of all that an aspirant needs to know. What is imperatively required of him is an earnest and one-pointed enquiry into the source of the aham-vritti.
~ Ramana Maharshi
(Be as you are / David Godman)

“When the mind is quiet, perfectly still the
waking state is no more. The quiet of the
mind is bridge to the infinite. There is
nothing to be done to reach the Truth.”

Just be. Do not try to be quiet; do not make ‘being quiet’ into a task to be performed. Don’t be restless about ‘being quiet’, miserable about ‘being happy’. Just be aware that you are and remain aware – don’t say: ‘yes, I am; what next?’ There is no ‘next’ in ‘I am’. It is a timeless state.

~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
(I am That. Freedom from self identification)
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Q: I am quite willing to learn.

M: Learning words is not enough. You may know the theory, but without the actual experience of yourself as the impersonal and unqualified center of being, love and bliss, mere verbal knowledge is sterile.

Q: Then, what am I to do?

M: Try to be, only to BE. The all-important word is ‘try’. Allot enough time daily for sitting quietly and trying, just trying, to go beyond the personality, with its addictions and obsessions.
Don’t ask how – it cannot be explained. You just keep on trying until you succeed. If you persevere, there can be no failure. What matters supremely is sincerity, earnestness; you must really have had a surfeit of being the person you are, now see the urgent need of being free of this unnecessary self-identification with a bundle of memories and habits. This steady resistance against the unnecessary is the secret of success.

After all, you are what you are every moment of your life, but you are never conscious of it, except, maybe, at the point of awakening from sleep. All you need is to be aware of being, not as a verbal statement, but as an ever-present fact. The awareness that you are will open your eyes to what you ARE. It is all very simple. First of all, establish a constant contact with your self, be with yourself all the time. Into self-awareness, all blessings flow. Begin as a center of observation, deliberate cognizance, and grow into a center of love in action. ‘I am’ is a tiny seed which will grow into a mighty tree — quite naturally, without a trace of effort.

Q: I see so much evil in myself. Must I not change it?

M: Evil is the shadow of inattention. In the light of self-awareness, it will wither and fall off.

~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
(I am That. Freedom from self-identification)

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Q: If the self is for ever the unknown, what then is realized in self-realization?

M: To know that the known cannot be me nor mine, is liberation enough. Freedom from self-identification with a set of memories and habits; the state of wonder at the infinite reaches of the being; its inexhaustible creativity and total transcendence, the absolute fearlessness born from the realization of the illusoriness and transiency of every mode of consciousness – flow from a deep and inexhaustible source. To know the source as source and appearance as appearance, and oneself as the source only is self-realization.

~ Nisargadatta Maharaj
(I am That. All knowledge is ignorance)

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There is no ‘my self’ and ‘his self’. There is the Self, the only Self of all. Misled by the diversity of names and shapes, minds and bodies, you imagine multiple selves. We both are the self, but you seem to be unconvinced. This talk of personal self and universal self is the learner’s stage; go beyond, don’t be stuck in duality.

~Nisargadatta Maharaj
(I am That. Everything happens by itself)
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[A poem based on Swami Tattvavidanandaji s
guided meditation on The Presence]
O Mind! What espiest thou beyond the rolling meadows, in the wide green valley afar?
Oh! Look, Sire! A breath-taking spectacle of lush beautiful trees, laden with blossoms of myriad hues.
Hmm. Name and form alone in thy focus, I gather.
O mine eyes! What captures thy sight when they set upon yon trees?
Not leaves, flowers and the like, Sire. Sense I naught but the Presence, the being, luminosity reigning in all quarters.
Furthermore, Sire:
In yonder magnificent mountain peaks, sense I majestic Presence;
In the enchanting full moon, diffusing her lunar radiance, sense I cool Presence;
In the blazing disc, racing across the firmament, sense I dazzling Presence;
In the unfathomable deep blue ocean, sense I tremendous Presence;
And likewise, Sire, I sense the Presence:
under the feet when upon the sea of soft sand; on the face, cradled by gently whispering breeze; before the eyes perceiving the vast expanding horizon; in the vista of the astounding immensity all around.
Yes, Sire. The Presence alone shines in all varied names and forms.
Spoken well are thy words, my child; profound and precise.
Yes, indeed. The Presence I sense, with the sense of touch,
Hence ever aware am I of the Presence, all through waking moments. ,
And gazing inward, into mine heart, a sensation I feel, pulsating as aham aham, I am I am.
What might it be, I ponder. Nay, it is not my heart throb.
Ah! Behold! Tis Life, expressing as sensation. That Life, the Presence is I am. Lo! I sense nothing but my Self.
Thence, is not the Presence within the same as that without, inasmuch as the supreme Presence, the being underlying all names and forms, alone ‘is’—sat the being shining as cit the knowing—the Stillness within.

Swamini Srividyananda

Nirvana Shatakam:  Text, Audio, YT1 

Shiva Sankalpa Suktam:  Text,  YT1

Gayatri Mantra:      Text,   Audio,   YT1

Pratah Smarami:  Text, Audio,  YTi

Bhaja Govindam:    Text, 

10 Shanti Mantras:  Text1, Text2, Audio,

Various Other Class Mantras: Link, Text1,

Practice of Contemplation/Nididhyasanam, is keeping Vedantic knowledge alive in the mind all the time, by all spiritual seekers, even if they are not continuing to pursue further knowledge  (e.g., for health reasons).
In life we face troubling events caused by our Prarabda which at times may be  traumatic and overwhelming; The only solution is remembering Vedantic knowledge constantly as the “emergency exit” out of samsara’s traumatic grip.  It may rarely be used; however, this exit path must be “well serviced”. The “normal exits” from samsara are by practicing karma yoga of dharmic actions as “duties” without expectations in return.

During sravanam, mananam we use the words like atma, sakshi, brahman etc., implying reference to something else.  In Nidhidyasanam, we need to use the words “I”, the subject.
5 capsules for dwelling in Nidhidyasanam.
Remembering these is “servicing the emergency exit” out of samsara.
1) I am of the nature of eternal and all-pervading Consciousness.
2) I am the only source of permanent peace, security and happiness.  Don’t lean on the mithya world for external joy.
3) By my mere presence, I give life to the material body and thru the body, I experience the material world.
4) I am unaffected by any event that happens in the material universe or the material body.
5) Forgetting my nature will convert life into struggle and remembering my nature will convert life into entertainment.

It is in my own hand!
Needs courage, dhiraha to pursue the enquiry with priority and focus. Not with Guru, not with Scriptures, and not with Ishwara
The mithya jagat is beyond comprehension and beyond control which are the negative aspects. The positive aspects is that the mithya world cannot affect “I” (Asango hum). A jnani understands that all divisions in the triangular format of Jiva, Jagat, and Ishwara (which are all Names&Forms), implies that Jiva is afflicted by Karma, and he has to beg Ishwara for protection. However, Ishwara cannot take Jiva out of karma cycles. The jnani, through understanding, knows the Self as Atma, and all appearance as N&F and therefore anatma. Anatma borrows its temporary existence from Atma alone, which leads to the understanding of Sarvaatma bhava. Only Atma exists. The jnani relaxes in this understanding and enjoys witnessing the fluctuations of jagat (including body/mind) as entertainment.

What we are seeing is many (names and forms), varied and continuously changing. All the changing panorama of this is grounded in one thing, the eyes, the organ of vision. So all that we see (out there) is just part of our “seeing”. This is merging the idea of external objects back into the vision. Into the fire of vision I offer all that is seen.
Similarly smell, touch etc. Into the fire of the senses, I pour the external world.
This is a very big move. If one can understand this deeply, it is a revolutionary way of thinking.
What is mind? Mind is thoughts, emotions, ideas, memories, even the ego sense.
All perceptions I pour into the fire called mind.
In awareness/conciousness only we are aware of movements of the mind (thoughts, emotions, sensory perceptions ) appear in consciousness.
I poured the mind into consciousness.
The mind is nothing more than an appearance (manifestation) in consciousness. This recognition is nothing more than I the consciousness.
You have reduced the “external world” to a straw. We throw it into the fire of consciousness. It’s immediately burnt up.
This is called dissolution of the world, dissolution of the senses and the body and the mind into I, the consciousness.
Offer everything into the fire of consciousness. This is Jnani’s way of dissolving the mind.
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The central objective of nididhyāsanam is dwelling on the teaching and assimilating it. This is a process of internalizing the teaching like soaking in the syrup of advaita jñanam (like rasagolla or gulab jamun). This can be done in different ways:

General principles of meditation,  the alert witnessing, as generally described by Swami TV
Atma Bodha (meditation verses 36-40)

-Sitting in a quiet place in a comfortable position on a chair or mat keeping the body absolutely still.
-Witness the body as the “gross mechanical process”, and see that it is from the “Witness/Observer/Self” point of view.
-With a stillness of the body, the mind also becomes still. The mind is just the “subtle mechanical process”.
-Witness the mind,  and any remaining noodle thinking will gradually disappear.
-The Self is not the intellect, or ego of the person who is meditating, nor the timekeeper etc. just the observer.
-With greater clarity, the Witness can be gained and regained quickly (in case of disturbance).
-Also, over time, the witnessing can be maintained during other walks of life such as walking, eating etc . Being mindful and aware of all actions and functions of the body and mind as they act together for any functions to work together.

Meditation is NOT …..
– Meditation is not a habitual behavior that has to be repeated mechanically.  that is not learning
– It is not intricate Methodology handed down to be followed rigidly. All humans are different
– it is not time period dependent e.g. 15 min a day in the morning
– Not bound to a specific space or environment, (can be done anywhere)
– Not for egoistic goals or personal goals,
– Not a goal to reach moksha, or name for oneself etc., Just BE.

Alertness and constant Attention to the Mind is Meditation!
-Watching the mind causes the mind to break up any “noodle (twisted, busy)” thinking of past and future, and remain in the present moment and think only as needed.
-This is the Vedantic way to allow the mind to be silent (unlike the yogic method of forced silence).
-This method is also called Jnana Agnihi (knowledge based “flame of attention”) that eliminates/burns off past and future “perceived” issues.
-Need to kindle this flame as much as possible with this understanding.  And this requires no “effort”. No deep thinking, no analysis etc, just watching.

**”Achintanam eva Brahma Chintanam”  Such thoughtless, silent mind is then free to allow Atma realization.   Mind has become “no mind”.  Mind dissolves in Atma.
Stabilized such understanding, leads to SarvaAtma Bhava and Tattvamasi follows.

**This kind of Attention has no “forced effort”, and so it does not exhaust one (no Karma). It brings freshness and freedom and allows Love to express and spread. This brings one into the spiritual dimension.

This brings Joy in day-to-day Life in whatever Prarabda karma brings to the body-mind complex for its transactions.

Remind oneself that true Meditation is ongoing Attention!!

Glimpses of Jivan Mukti is achieved
It is said that after great deal of purification of mind through Sadhana Chatusthaya Sampathi, and thorough understanding of the Sruti (Upanishads), that glimpses of Jivan Mukti is achieved. This manifests as the “apparent liberation” of the Jiva/ahankara from its previous “attachment state” to the world of N&F, and also owning up to the Consciousness/atma that one always is. This Jivan Mukti is however, relative with levels of steadfastness in this blissful state. A Jivan Mukta will usually say he is continuing to dwell in the Nididhyasanam to purify his mind, and not there yet. There are extremely rare individuals who are true Siddha Purusha, who have totally foregone the world and are in constant state of independent consciousness.

Sakshi Bhava
After enquiry through technique such as Drk Drishya viveka,  understand that “I” is the consciousness/Sakshi/Atma, apart from Anatma – the body/mind and the world around.  However, the “boundary” is only in “ignorance”, so continue enquiring and discover.

Remember that Conciousness (C)/Sakshi/Atma is Chetana whereas the Body/Mind is Achetana  (inert)
Body/Mind borrows sentiency from Consciousness. It is the divine principle behind all organs. Eye of eye etc. It is the subject / witness / sakshi of the objects. 5 principles of Consciousness, C
1) C is Not a Part, or Product, or property of body
2) C is independent principle, which pervades and enlivens the body
3) C is not limited by Body Mind (BM)
4) C continues to exist beyond BM
5) C continues to exist in seed /potential state but not available for transactions without manifestation in a being.  ( A single cell microbe, exhibits sentiency!!)

SarvaAtma Bhava
Understand that the Anatma, body/mind and the world of names and forms are merely appearances in the consciousness (like in a dream). There is only Atma/Brahman.
The Jnani is free from apparent bondage of karma as there is no “doership” and therefore remains in wonder and acceptance!
Listen to these Talk1,  Talk2

SarvaAtma Bhava is major step!!  One must use the Niddidyasanam (quiet deep reflection) to “Test if my intellect is ready to fully accept this step of Advaita”. 
If doubts remain, it is necessary to go back to Sravanam, Mananam (perhaps from different upanishads, Viveka Chudamani, and different Gurus)

Always be alert to remember “who am I?”
– I am not the “body”. it is an adyaropa/superimposed ” gross costume”, which is limited, subject to environment, and has its own prarabda karma that determines its ups/downs.
I am Not the “Mind”, with is past vasanas, likes and dislikes, judgements, accumulated knowledge etc.  So its conditioned behavior is very much subject to what is “assumed as me and mine”.   So, it is very much limited and also a “subtle costume” that drives our level of bondage.
– This body/mind, conditions us to assume a Jiva status in ERROR
– Assuming an Ishvara status separate from Jiva, as superior being, is also an ERROR. Any Bhakti for guru/Ishvara avatara limits to a duality, which is still limited and ERROR.
– And the interaction with the changing world of names/forms if taken as “real” is also an ERROR.
– Recognizing that “I am Sakshi/Chaitanyam”, Unattached I am, (Asangoham).  And this Chaitanyam has to be universal (beyond all the changing names/and forms), and it can only be ONE – Brahman.
( “sky” is a good analogy to keep in mind to satisfy the intellect).

Then the Nididhyasanam needs to be from the standpoint of “I am Brahman”, which is “purnatvam/ fullness”.
If somehow, there is “discontent” one needs to be alert for any “lacking/ or wanting” coming from the body/mind/world costumes, and recognize this clearly.
It is ok to “cry” if we assume a Jiva status (with body/mind) temporarily.
But in Nididyasanam, it is good to “smile”, recognizing the Asangatvam and Purnatvam. 

This “alertness”, promotes increasing “steadfast” contemplation in the  “I am Brahman”.

1. Discerning the Real from the Unreal

• Anvaya shows what always persists—Consciousness (Ātman).
• Vyatireka reveals what is absent in certain states—body, mind, senses.
• This helps you realize: I am not the changing body or mind, but the unchanging witness.

2. Establishing the Self as Independent

• In deep sleep, the body and mind are absent (vyatireka), yet you still “wake up” and say, “I slept well” (anvaya).
• This proves that awareness exists independently of physical and mental faculties.

3. Dissolving False Identification

• By applying this method to the five sheaths (pañca-kośa), you can reject each as non-essential.
• What remains is the pure Self, untouched by attributes—leading to liberation (mokṣa).

4. Revealing the Ever-Free Nature of the Self

• You don’t become free—you realize you’ve always been free.
• Anvaya–Vyatireka removes ignorance (avidyā) by showing that bondage is a mistaken identity.

Applying Anvaya–Vyatireka in daily life is like sharpening your inner compass—it helps you distinguish what’s truly essential from what’s incidental. For a dedicated mumukshu, given your philosophical depth and analytical mindset, this method can become a subtle but powerful tool for navigating both spiritual inquiry and everyday decision-making.

🧠 1. Self-Inquiry and Emotional Clarity

• When emotions arise, Ask: Is this feeling always present? ( Attention is Anvaya)
• If it disappears in deep sleep or meditation, it’s Vyatireka—not your true nature.
• This helps you disidentify from transient moods and anchor in awareness.

🧘‍♂️ 2. Mindfulness in Action

• Before reacting, observe: Is this impulse present in all situations?
• If not, it’s conditional (Vyatireka)—not essential.
• You begin to act from conscious choice, not habit.

🧩 3. Decision-Making

• When choosing between options, ask:
  • What remains valuable across all contexts? (Anvaya)
  • What loses relevance in certain conditions? (Vyatireka)
• This cultivates discernment (viveka)—choosing what aligns with your deeper values.

🪷 4. Relationships and Identity

• You might feel defined by roles—parent, developer, seeker.
• But in solitude or sleep, those roles vanish (Vyatireka), yet you remain (Anvaya).
• This insight fosters inner freedom and compassion—seeing others beyond their roles too.

🔍 5. Filtering Information

• In today’s info overload, ask:
  • Does this insight hold true across situations? (Anvaya)
  • Is it only valid in a narrow context? (Vyatireka)
• This guards against misleading conclusions and hasty judgments.

Panchadasi – Chapter 19: Atma-Anatma Viveka

(expanded version by another swami has 19 chapters from the original 15 chapters).

This chapter, often titled Atma-Anatma Viveka (Discrimination between Self and non-Self), uses Anvaya–Vyatireka to:

• Distinguish the Self (Atman) from the five sheaths (pañca-kośa): physical, vital, mental, intellectual, and bliss.
• Show that Consciousness is the invariable substratum (anvaya) across waking, dream, and deep sleep.
• Demonstrate that body, mind, and senses are variable (vyatireka)—they come and go, but awareness remains.

🔍 Key Insights:

• In deep sleep, the body and mind are absent (vyatireka), yet you still say “I slept well” (anvaya of awareness).
• The Self is not the doer or enjoyer—it’s the witness of all mental modifications.
• Liberation is not about acquiring something new, but recognizing what’s always been present.

You can explore the full text and commentary in this translation of Panchadasi by Swami Vidyaranya.

Upadesa Sahasri – Chapter 19: Ātmamanaḥsaṃvāda-prakaraṇam (Dialogue between Self and Mind)

This chapter is a dramatic and philosophical dialogue where the Mind expresses its doubts and the Self responds with clarity. It’s a brilliant unfolding of Anvaya–Vyatireka logic.

🧠 How It Applies:

• The Mind says: “I am bound, I suffer, I act.”
• The Self replies: “You are not me. I am the witness of your fluctuations.”
• Through anvaya, the Self is shown to be present in all states—even when the mind is absent.
• Through vyatireka, the mind is shown to be non-essential, changing, and dependent.

🎧 Want to hear it unfold?

Swami Tattvavidananda’s audio series on Chapter 19 is a treasure trove of insights. You can listen to the full playlist on YouTube here.

Core Similarities

📘 Panchadasi – Vidyaranya’s Logical Symphony

• Uses reasoning and metaphors to guide the seeker from ignorance to realization.
• Chapter 19 (Atma–Anatma Viveka) is a masterclass in Anvaya–Vyatireka, showing how Consciousness is the invariable substratum.
• Emphasizes discrimination between Self and non-Self, especially through analysis of the five sheaths (pañca-kośa).
• Ideal for seekers who enjoy structured philosophical inquiry.

Explore more in this summary of Panchadasi or Swami Paramarthananda’s transcript.

Upadesa Sahasri – Shankara’s Teaching Blueprint

• Focuses on how to teach Self-knowledge effectively.
• Chapter 19 (Ātmamanaḥsaṃvāda-prakaraṇam) is a dramatic dialogue between the Mind and the Self, using Anvaya–Vyatireka to dissolve false identification.
• Stresses that liberation is immediate upon right knowledge—no rituals or karma needed.
• Ideal for seekers who value scriptural authority and teacher-guided inquiry.

You can listen to the full Chapter 19 series by Swami Tattvavidananda on this YouTube playlist or explore the full text in this English translation.

🪷 In Essence:

• Panchadasi is like a philosopher’s lantern, illuminating the path with logic and metaphors.
• Upadesa Sahasri is a teacher’s compass, guiding the seeker through precise scriptural reasoning.

Comparing how Panchadasi and Upadesa Sahasri interpret Tat Tvam Asi (“That Thou Art”) is a brilliant way to deepen your understanding. This Mahāvākya from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad is a cornerstone of Advaita Vedanta—let’s unpack how each text shines its unique light on it:

🪷 Tat Tvam Asi in Panchadasi

Especially in chapters like Atma–Anatma Viveka (Ch. 19), Vidyaranya explores this mahāvākya with logical rigor and layered reasoning:

• “Tat” (That): Refers to Brahman, the unchanging, infinite consciousness underlying the universe.
• “Tvam” (Thou): Refers to the individual self, apparently limited but actually the same awareness.
• “Asi” (Art): The identity—not metaphorical, but literal and direct.

💡 Panchadasi’s Emphasis:

• Uses Anvaya–Vyatireka to show that what remains in all states (Tvam) is identical to what is all-pervasive (Tat).
• Dissects the apparent differences (upādhis or limiting adjuncts) between Jīva and Brahman.
• Conclusion: When the conditionings are negated, the identity is revealed.

It’s like stripping away costumes until the actors on stage are recognized to be the same light behind them all.

📜 Tat Tvam Asi in Upadesa Sahasri

Śaṅkara’s approach is pedagogical and deeply scriptural. Especially in Chapter 19, the mind questions and the Self responds:

• The Mind argues from the standpoint of bondage, finitude, and suffering.
• The Self gently disarms those views using Anvaya–Vyatireka to show:
  “You think you’re the doer, but you are actually the witness behind all doing.”

🎯 Upadesa Sahasri’s Emphasis:

• The statement Tat Tvam Asi is valid only when the implied meaning (lakṣyārtha) is understood.
• Śaṅkara guides us to shift from the gross meanings (Tat = creator god, Tvam = ego-self) to their true essence—both are pure consciousness.
• This shifts the seeker from superficial identity to essential unity.

🧠 Summary Comparison

1. 🌿 Adhyāropa–Apavāda is the beating heart of Advaita Vedanta’s teaching method, and it fits beautifully into both Panchadasi and Upadesa Sahasri, especially in Chapter 19 where the seeker is guided from illusion to insight. Since you’re exploring this deeply, Raj, let’s walk through how this method operates and why it’s so transformative.🧠 What Is Adhyāropa–Apavāda?
   • Adhyāropa (अध्यारोप): Deliberate superimposition — temporarily attributing qualities to Brahman (like creator, witness, knower) to help the seeker relate.
   • Apavāda (अपवाद): Subsequent negation — removing those attributes to reveal Brahman’s true nature: formless, non-dual, beyond thought.

   This isn’t contradiction—it’s pedagogy. Like using a ladder to climb, then leaving it behind once you’ve reached the roof.

In Panchadasi (Chapter 19: Atma–Anatma Viveka)

• Vidyaranya first superimposes attributes on the Self (e.g., witness of the five sheaths).
• Then he negates each sheath (body, prana, mind, intellect, bliss) to show they’re not the Self.
• The Self is revealed as pure Consciousness, untouched by any attribute.

This is classic adhyāropa–apavāda: use the concept of “witness” to detach from the non-Self, then drop even that to rest in the unconditioned Self.

📜 In Upadesa Sahasri (Chapter 19: Ātmamanaḥsaṃvāda-prakaraṇam)

• Śaṅkara stages a dialogue between the Mind and the Self.
• The Mind says, “I suffer, I act, I am bound.”
• The Self responds: “You are not me. I am the witness of your fluctuations.”
• Eventually, even the witnesshood is negated—because Brahman is not a relative observer, but the absolute reality.

Śaṅkara uses adhyāropa to teach the seeker that they are the witness—not the body or mind. Then he uses apavāda to show that even “witness” is a concept to be transcended.

Why It Matters for Tat Tvam Asi

• “Tat” (That) = Brahman with attributes (adhyāropa)
• “Tvam” (Thou) = Jīva with ego and mind (adhyāropa)
• “Asi” (Art) = The identity revealed when both are stripped of conditionings (apavāda)

So the mahāvākya doesn’t just declare unity—it reveals it through negation.

How can you live this in daily life?

• ✅ Use adhyāropa to relate to the world mindfully (“I am a doer,” “I am meditating,” “I am improving”).
• 🧹 Then apply apavāda to gently negate those identities: “I am not the doer, I am pure awareness.”
• This gives you both functional clarity in worldly roles and existential freedom beyond them.

It’s a bit like playing your instrument with full heart in the concert—and then walking off stage knowing you’re not the music, but the silence it emerges from.

🌺A Beautiful Metaphor from Shankara

In Upadesa Sahasri, Śaṅkara compares this teaching method to using a thorn to remove another thorn—and then throwing both away.

• The “thorn” of adhyāropa helps remove ignorance.
• Once clarity dawns, even that teaching is dissolved into silence.
  

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1. 🧩 The Teaching Flow in Advaita Vedanta
   1. Adhyāropa (Superimposition):
      Present Brahman as having attributes—creator, witness, etc.—so the seeker has a graspable entry point.
   2. Anvaya–Vyatireka (Discernment Tool):
      Analyze what remains in all states (Anvaya) and what is absent (Vyatireka) to disqualify body, mind, and sheaths as the Self.
   3. Apavāda (Negation):
      Withdraw the earlier superimpositions to reveal Brahman as nirguna, unconditioned Consciousness.
   4. Mahāvākya Revelation – Tat Tvam Asi:
      Discern the implied meaning (lakṣyārtha) behind Tat and Tvam, realizing both point to the same pure awareness once conditionings are dropped.

🔥How the Texts Tie It All Together

🪷 Upadesa Sahasri – Shankara’s Pedagogical Flow

• Starts with relative views: soul, karma, doership.
• Introduces Tat Tvam Asi gradually by removing incorrect literal meanings.
• Applies adhyāropa–apavāda and Anvaya–Vyatireka to let the mind shift from bondage to witnessing—and finally to non-dual being.

🗣️ “Just as the reflected moon in water isn’t the real moon, the ego isn’t the Self. You are That—which is ever-free.”

🧘 Panchadasi – Vidyaranya’s Logical Unfolding

• Lays out the five sheaths and dissects each with Anvaya–Vyatireka.
• Uses adhyāropa to identify the “witness,” then applies apavāda to remove even that duality.
• Leads you to the non-relational, blissful Self.

🌙 “The Self is not knower, doer, or enjoyer—but the light in which all three appear and disappear.”

🎯 Your Takeaway as a Seeker

You’re not asked to believe in a dogma—you’re invited to see clearly:

• When you say Tat Tvam Asi, you’re not invoking a poetic metaphor—you’re declaring your actual nature once all superimpositions dissolve.
• Adhyāropa–Apavāda clears the fog; Anvaya–Vyatireka confirms the view; Tat Tvam Asi is your inner echo of truth.
  

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Let’s complete the tapestry,  by exploring how the other Mahāvākyas—Aham Brahmāsmi, Prajñānam Brahma, and Ayam Ātmā Brahma—fit into the same teaching arc as Tat Tvam Asi, Anvaya–Vyatireka, and Adhyāropa–Apavāda. Each one is like a different facet of the same jewel, revealing the Self from a unique angle

🪷 The Four Principal Mahāvākyas in Advaita Vedanta

🔍 How They Fit Together

1. Tat Tvam Asi – Identity through Negation

• Uses Adhyāropa–Apavāda to strip away conditionings (upādhis) of both Tat and Tvam.
• Applies Anvaya–Vyatireka to show that the essence of both is pure awareness.
• Reveals: You are That—not metaphorically, but literally.

2. Aham Brahmāsmi – Direct Assertion of Unity

• No dialogue, no metaphor—just I am Brahman.
• Comes after deep inquiry, when the seeker no longer sees separation.
• It’s the culmination of Tat Tvam Asi—the realization becomes personal and experiential.

3. Prajñānam Brahma – Nature of Brahman

• Defines Brahman as intelligence-consciousness, not a deity or force.
• Everything—gods, elements, beings—is rooted in awareness.
• This Mahāvākya is the ontological foundation: Brahman is not a thing, but knowing itself.

4. Ayam Ātmā Brahma – Immediate Recognition

• Points to the Self within—not distant, not abstract.
• “This very Self” is Brahman—here and now, not after rituals or rebirth.
• It’s the starting point for inquiry and the final realization.

 In Practice

Together, these Mahāvākyas guide the seeker through:

1. Inquiry (Tat Tvam Asi)
2. Recognition (Ayam Ātmā Brahma)
3. Understanding (Prajñānam Brahma)
4. Realization (Aham Brahmāsmi)

They’re not just statements—they’re meditative revelations. Many teachers recommend contemplating one Mahāvākya deeply until it becomes your lived truth.

🎙️Swami TV’s Approach: Vedantic Pedagogy in Action
(Swami Tattvavidananda unfolds them in his Upadesa Sahasri audio series on YouTube.  Upadesa Sahasri – Swami Tattvavidananda (Chapter 19))

1. Contextual Clarity Before Revelation

• Swamiji doesn’t rush to assert the Mahāvākya—he builds the seeker’s foundation by addressing the mistaken identity with the body, ego, and intellect.
• He emphasizes how the Mind wrongly assumes doership and suffering, and how Anvaya–Vyatireka and adhyāropa–apavāda clear those misconceptions.

“When you are asleep, where is your doership? That which remains is not the mind—it is awareness. That is the Self.”

2. Tat Tvam Asi – The Structural Dissection

• He carefully distinguishes vācya-artha (literal meaning) from lakṣyārtha (implied meaning).
• “Tat” is not a distant God, and “Tvam” is not the ego-self. He helps the listener isolate the essence behind the terms.
• Once upādhis (limiting adjuncts) are negated, what remains is non-dual consciousness.

“The teacher says Tat Tvam Asi not to impose identity but to help you discard both labels and recognize essence.”

3. Aham Brahmāsmi – Turning the Light Inward

• Swami TV unfolds this Mahāvākya as the culmination of the seeker’s journey.
• After negating false notions of self, what remains is the realization: I am That.
• He emphasizes that this isn’t poetic—it’s existential truth, born from inquiry.

4. Prajñānam Brahma – Knowing as Being

• Swamiji often returns to this Mahāvākya to underscore that Consciousness is not a function—it is reality itself.
• He links this to direct experiences in deep sleep, meditation, and silence, showing how awareness is substratum, not byproduct.

5. Ayam Ātmā Brahma – Immediate and Intimate

• He brings the teaching home by pointing to the Self within—not post-death, not in some heaven, but now.
• The seeker is led to recognize that the very awareness reading these words is Brahman.
  

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Verse 1: Jagad-Īśa-Jīva Bheda

“tvaghaṭita-ghaṭanā-paṭīyasī māyā” Māyā creates the illusion of difference between the world (jagat), God (Īśvara), and the individual (jīva)—even though all are expressions of the indivisible Consciousness.
🔹 For the ignorant: This manifests as literal belief in separation.
🔹 For the scholarly: They may speak of non-duality but still uphold subtle distinctions.
🔹 For the intelligent: Even refined intellect may fail to dissolve this triad fully.

Verse 2: Delusion of the Learned
“kalushayati catuṣpadādy-abhinnān” Even those who master hundreds of scriptures are deluded by Māyā through attachment to wealth and worldly allurements, becoming indistinguishable from animals.
🔹 This verse is a direct critique of paṇḍitas who fall prey to viṣaya-vāsanā despite their learning.

Verse 3: Samsāra’s Whirlpool
“bhramayati bhava-sāgare nitāntam” The Self, which is blissful and non-dual, is made to whirl in the ocean of becoming (samsāra) by association with the five elements.
🔹 Medhāvīs may grasp the Self conceptually, yet Māyā binds them through subtle identification with body-mind.

Verse 4: Attachment to Family and Identity
“sphuṭayati suta-dāra-geha-moham” Even in the absence of caste, color, or qualities, Māyā projects ego and attachment to son, spouse, and home.
🔹 This applies across all types—ignorant, scholarly, and intelligent—each in their own way succumbing to moha.

Verse 5: Delusion of the Wise
“bhramayati hari-hara-bheda-bhāvān” Māyā creates distinctions even among deities like Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva, and deludes even the wise (budhānapi).
🔹 This is the final blow: no one is immune. Māyā’s power is aghāṭita-ghaṭanā-paṭīyasī—capable of making the impossible appear real.

• Delusion through gross identification: Maya entices them to equate the body-mind complex with the Self. Their reality is shaped by sensory experiences and emotional reactions.
• Attachment to fleeting pleasures: They chase security, status, and gratification, unaware of the impermanence of these pursuits.
• Fear and superstition: Without discernment, they may fall prey to irrational beliefs or fear-based rituals, mistaking them for spiritual truth.

• Delusion through intellectual pride: Maya veils the Self by inflating the ego through scriptural mastery and philosophical debate.
• Attachment to concepts: They may cling to words and doctrines, mistaking śabda (sound) for artha (meaning), and overlook direct realization.
• Subtle duality: Even while speaking of non-duality, they may unconsciously uphold distinctions—between knower and known, teacher and taught.

As Panchadashi and Upadesa Sahasri suggest, Maya’s power lies in vikṣepa (projection) and āvaraṇa (concealment). She projects the world and conceals the Self. Only through viveka (discernment), vairāgya (dispassion), and ātma-vichāra (Self-inquiry) can one pierce her veil.

Insight: Since only Awareness persists in all states, it alone is satyam. Everything else is mithyā—dependent on conditions and subject to Māyā’s play.

1. Self-Inquiry

“I slept well” implies a witness even in deep sleep. Use Anvaya to affirm the Self’s presence. Use Vyatireka to reject transient identifications.

2. Emotional Clarity

Is this emotion present in all states? If not, it’s Vyatireka—not your true nature.

3. Decision-Making

What remains valuable across all contexts (Anvaya)? What loses relevance in certain conditions (Vyatireka)?

This cultivates viveka and vairāgya—discernment and detachment.

4. Identity and Roles

Roles like “parent,” “seeker,” “designer” vanish in sleep. Yet you remain. That’s Anvaya. Roles are Vyatireka.

Māyā binds by making the Vyatireka appear as Anvaya—mistaking the changing for the changeless. This method reverses that illusion, restoring clarity.

How does the penetration of the maya veil through advaita and true bhakti help sustain one’s conviction?
Ah, Raj, this is a beautifully layered question—one that touches the very heart of sādhana. The veil of Māyā, as you know, doesn’t just obscure reality—it seduces the seeker with duality, doubt, and distraction. But when pierced through Advaita and true Bhakti, conviction (niścaya) isn’t just sustained—it becomes unshakable.

Advaita Vedanta: Penetrating Through Knowledge

• Discrimination (viveka): Advaita trains the seeker to distinguish the real (sat) from the unreal (asat) using tools like Anvaya–Vyatireka. This clarity dissolves confusion and anchors conviction in the changeless Self.

• Detachment (vairāgya)**: As Māyā loses its grip, worldly attractions fade. The seeker no longer seeks validation or fulfillment outside.
• Direct realization (aparokṣa jñāna)**: When the Self is known as Brahman, conviction becomes svarūpa-siddha—rooted in one’s very nature. No external proof is needed.

🧠 Advaita sustains conviction by removing ignorance (avidyā) and revealing the substratum beneath Māyā’s projections.

True Bhakti: Penetrating Through Devotion

• Surrender (śaraṇāgati)**: Bhakti melts the ego, allowing the seeker to rest in the divine will. This surrender bypasses intellectual doubt.
• Love as a purifier: Pure devotion (ananya bhakti) burns away subtle desires and attachments, which are Māyā’s fuel.
• Grace (prasāda)**: The devotee experiences divine intervention—not as a concept, but as a felt reality. This experiential intimacy with the divine reinforces conviction.

🕊️ True Bhakti sustains conviction by transforming the heart and invoking grace that lifts the veil of Māyā.

The Convergence: Jñāna–Bhakti Samanvaya
Śaṅkara himself affirms that jñāna and bhakti are not opposed. In fact:

• Jñāna without Bhakti can become dry intellectualism.
• Bhakti without Jñāna can become sentimentalism.

But when the two unite:

“Jñānaṁ bhakti-sahitam mokṣa-sādhanaṁ param” Knowledge infused with devotion becomes the supreme means to liberation.

Conviction is then sustained not just by clarity of intellect, but by the warmth of the heart and the strength of surrender.

🌍 “Jagat” – The World as We Experience It

In Vedanta, jagat refers to the empirical world—the ever-changing realm of names and forms, experiences, relationships, duties, and challenges. It’s the world we navigate daily, often colored by personal likes (rāga) and dislikes (dveṣa), which can turn it into a source of stress or sorrow.

🙏 “Ishvarize” – Reframing Through the Lens of Īśvara

To “Ishvarize” the jagat means to:

• Recognize the world as non-separate from Īśvara, the intelligent and conscious cause of the universe.
• See all events, people, and situations as manifestations of divine order, rather than random or threatening.
• Let go of personal projections that distort reality—like fear, blame, or control—and instead align with dharma and trust in the cosmic intelligence.

Swaminiji contrasts this with the tendency to “subjectivize” the jagat—where one’s own emotional filters and unresolved desires turn the world into a battlefield. By Ishvarizing, one reclaims peace by:

• Shifting from resistance to reverence.
• Moving from complaint to compassion.
• Replacing anxiety with acceptance.

🕊️ The Result: Peace Through Clarity

When you see the jagat as Īśvara’s manifestation, you stop fighting what is. You engage with the world not as a victim or controller, but as a participant in a sacred unfolding. This doesn’t mean passivity—it means wise action rooted in understanding, not reaction rooted in fear.

Swamini Svatmavidyanandaji’s reference to the “Greater Flow” is a deeply evocative Vedantic metaphor that points to the cosmic intelligence and order of Īśvara—the unseen current that carries all beings, events, and experiences toward their rightful unfolding.

🌊 What Is the “Greater Flow”?

In her teachings, the “Greater Flow” refers to:

• Īśvara’s order: The totality of laws—physical, psychological, moral, and karmic—that govern the universe.
• Surrendered living: Aligning oneself with this flow rather than resisting it through egoic preferences (rāga-dveṣa).
• Trust in the unfolding: Recognizing that life’s events, even those that seem painful or confusing, are part of a larger, benevolent design.

Swaminiji often contrasts this with the “jīva’s flow”, which is fragmented, reactive, and driven by personal projections. The Greater Flow invites the seeker to shift from control to trust, from fragmentation to wholeness.

🕉️ Vedantic Resonance

This idea echoes the Upanishadic teaching that Īśvara is both the material and intelligent cause of the universe. To live in the Greater Flow is to:

• See the jagat as non-separate from Brahman.
• Accept one’s dharma as a sacred offering.
• Allow the mind to relax into the rhythm of cosmic harmony.

In nididhyāsana, this becomes a contemplative practice: “I am not apart from the Greater Flow. I am that awareness in which the flow arises.”

Swami Dayananda Saraswati consistently emphasized seeing the world (jagat) as non-separate from Īśvara, the intelligent cause and the material cause of all that exists. In his Vedanta classes, he would often say things like:

“The world is not away from Īśvara. The laws that govern the world are Īśvara.”

This aligns perfectly with what Swamini Svatmavidyananda expresses through “Ishvarize the Jagat.” While she coined that particular phrase to make the teaching more accessible and memorable, it’s a direct extension of the vision of oneness that Swami Dayananda taught.

He also warned against subjectivizing the world—interpreting it through personal filters of fear, desire, and aversion. Instead, he encouraged cultivating prayerfulness, devotion, and clarity, which naturally lead to a reverent engagement with the world as Īśvara’s manifestation.

So while the phrase itself may be Swaminiji’s creative articulation, the principle is pure Dayananda Vedanta.

“Ishvarize the Jagat,” even if Swami Dayayananda didn’t use that exact phrase. Here are a few compelling examples drawn directly from his works:

📘 1. Relating to Īśvara – Seeing the Order in the Jagat

In his essay Relating to Īśvara, Swamiji writes:

“Being manifest in the form of various orders pervading the jagat, the Lord is infallible. In the awareness of this Īśvara, one sees the absence of alienation at any time.”

This is a direct pointer to Ishvarizing the world: recognizing that every phenomenon—physical, psychological, ethical—is governed by Īśvara’s order. There’s no chaos, only misunderstood intelligence.

🕉️ 2. Ishvara in One’s Life – Every Form Is His Form

In this book, Swamiji emphasizes:

“Every form that is here is his form, every phenomenon that is here is an expression of the Lord.”

This dissolves the boundary between sacred and mundane. Whether it’s a thunderstorm or a traffic jam, a temple bell or a spreadsheet—each is Īśvara in expression. To see this is to be free from resistance.

🧠 3. Value of Values – Aligning with Dharma

Swamiji often taught that dharma is not a human construct but Īśvara’s manifestation as moral order. When one aligns with dharma, one aligns with Īśvara. This transforms ethical living from obligation to devotion.

🔍 4. Teaching Method – From Belief to Knowledge

He frequently distinguished between belief (śraddhā) and knowledge (jñāna), encouraging students to begin with trust in the teaching and move toward direct understanding. This process itself is a form of Ishvarization—replacing subjective filters with objective clarity.

🧘‍♂️ Nididhyāsana: Internalizing the Vision of Oneness

In Advaita Vedanta, nididhyāsana is not mere meditation—it’s steady contemplation on the truth revealed through śravaṇa and manana. It’s the assimilation of mahāvākyas like tat tvam asi until the separation between self and Brahman dissolves.

🌍 Ishvarizing the Jagat: A Contemplative Lens

To “Ishvarize” the jagat during nididhyāsana means:

• Reframing all perceptions: Instead of seeing the world as fragmented or threatening, you contemplate it as non-separate from Īśvara, the intelligent and material cause.
• Dissolving duality: You no longer divide the world into sacred and profane, pleasant and unpleasant. Everything is seen as Īśvara’s order, even your own thoughts and emotions.
• Neutralizing rāga-dveṣa: Likes and dislikes lose their grip when you see them as part of the cosmic design—not personal flaws or obstacles.
• Contemplating the mahāvākya in context: When meditating on sarvam khalvidam brahma (“All this is indeed Brahman”), you include the jagat—not exclude it. You see the world as a pointer, not a distraction.

🕊️ Practical Integration in Nididhyāsana

Here’s a step-by-step way you might approach this:

1. Begin with a mahāvākya: e.g., tat tvam asi or sarvam khalvidam brahma.
2. Bring to mind a challenging situation or person.
3. Contemplate: “This too is Īśvara’s manifestation. The laws governing this are Īśvara. My response is also within Īśvara’s order.”
4. Let go of resistance: Replace judgment with reverence. Not passivity, but clarity.
5. Rest in the recognition: The jagat is not other than Brahman. There is no second.

📿 Why This Matters

By Ishvarizing the jagat in nididhyāsana, you dissolve Māyā’s projecting power (vikṣepa)—the mistaken superimposition of separateness and threat. You also pierce its veiling power (āvaraṇa) by seeing clearly what is: Brahman alone is real; the world is its appearance.

This is not escapism—it’s radical intimacy with reality, where even the most mundane becomes sacred.

To illustrate the profundity of this concept, connect it to three of humanity’s deepest philosophical questions:

1) What is real? (Ontology/Metaphysics)

2) How do we know anything? (Epistemology)

3) What is the point of it all? (Axiology/Ethics)

Vedanta answers all three with a single phrase: Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence, Consciousness, Bliss).

Sat (Existence): This is the ultimate reality, the ground from which all real things emerge.

Chit (Consciousness): This is the pure consciousness that makes all knowledge and experience possible.

Ananda (Bliss): This is the ultimate, limitless bliss that is the source of all joy and happiness. That is the goal.

These three aspects are not separate entities but are one, indivisible reality.

The main obstacle to this vision: our everyday experience of difference, which is termed in terms of  “object limitation.  (vastu pariccheda)” . Space-time limitation of all “objects” of the world.
We see ourselves as separate from others, from objects, and from the world. The goal of Vedanta is to negate this sense of separation, not by making everything a “homogeneous sludge,”
but by realizing the underlying unity that exists even while things appear different.

Isha Upanishad,  states, “Pervade all this… with God.” This isn’t about covering the world with God, but rather uncovering the divinity that is already present.
This process is one of inquiry, much like scraping away the outer layer of sandalwood to reveal its inherent fragrance.

The ultimate goal is to realize that “the seer and the seen are one,” and “the enjoyer and the enjoyed are one.”

The ultimate result of this realization.

When a person truly sees oneness—when they see all beings within themselves and themselves in all beings—sorrow and delusion vanish. This leads to a life of profound joy, where one cannot hate, discriminate, or exclude anyone. It is a state of loving all beings as God, leading to a life infinitely more fulfilling than one focused on fleeting worldly pleasures.

In the famous snake rope analogy. The rope is mistaken to be a snake. The snake appears in the rope. The rope is the reality (Anyvaya). Snake is false (Vyatireka, because snake projection can be falsified). It’s not a snake. It’s a rope. Though it looks like a snake.

Similarly, It’s not different beings. I am separate from you. Different realities all separate from each other. NO! This difference is an appearance. What’s real here? That one consciousness in which all different entities are appearing. That one consciousness you are. This is the logic to establish oneness of consciousness. What did we accomplish in all of this? This is called the negation of object limitation. All beings only appear to be separate.

Suppose in a mirror all things appear to be separate from each other reflections.  Just that mirror alone is real. So the differences in the reflections are negated by realizing it’s mirror (which is merely reflecting).

In our dreams everything seems different from each other. People, places, dogs, plants, sky, earth. But when you wake up, they all become one. Why? They are all the dream one dreaming mind.

Similarly, here in one consciousness,  all beings are seen in the self.  It means they are not all beings. It is the self alone. You alone. Self means you. You alone which appears as all beings.

And how is this accomplished? This movement by the idea of superimposition appearance that which appears and changing  (Vyatirekha)  must be false in which it appears that must be true (Anyvaya).

However, subtle an important point next:
First you see all beings in the self , then, next mantra 7 (of Ishavasya Upanishad) says you see the self in all beings. Could lead to confusion.

That which appears is false (Vytireka) . In which it appears that is true (Anvaya).
Now we said all beings appear in the self. So all beings are not there. The self alone is appearing as all beings.

Now if mantra says self in all beings. Now what is the ground? All beings (Anvaya??). And what is imposed on it? The self/conciousness,  that which is imposed must be false (Vyatireka??) – NO! Atman will become false. Brahman will become false. Satan will become false and all these different beings, that will become real.
Then, what is meant here? This is a very crucial and subtle point. We are often taught what does vedanta teach? Brahman is real. world is false. But it’s a teaching methodology. The goal is not to teach the falsity of the world. The goal is to teach that one consciousness only. That’s all. It’s that one consciousness and all beings are one and the same reality. One and the many are the same reality seen by different persons in different levels of spiritual realization. So, this is the grand conclusion that we come to now.  You abandon that talk about falsity just stay with the oneness of all beings in the self.

It is not saying all beings are false I only exist. There is no all beings. NO. All beings are there, and they are Shiva which you are also so. You find the oneness of all.  It is not one real existence which I am and everything else is false  (not one real Brahman one real consciousness and lots of false entities – not like that.)

How does an enlightened person see all this?
Does that enlightened person see that one Brahman is there and the whole world is like a shadow or a  like a dream or like the mirror and reflection example the one underlying reality and everything is superimposed?

Enlightened Swami’s answer: There is only one.  It’s not that there is one Brahman and one false world. Ramana Maharashi the great non-dualist, he says it is only the enlightened one who can say that the world is real.
We think after reading a lot of vedanta, the enlightened one will say, “Oh, Brahman is real. The world is false.” NO. It’s the enlightened one can say that the world is real. What do you know of reality? The enlightened one knows reality. The enlightened one can say the world is real. In what sense? He sees the spiritual reality that oneness in all beings.
For such an enlightened person what “sorrow or delusions” remain?  He abides in peace!!

❤️ Bhakti Sādhana: Melting the Ego Through Love
In true Bhakti, sādhana is the refinement of emotion into devotion:

• Sevenfold discipline: As noted in Hindu Blog, Bhakti presupposes sublimation of feeling, training of intellect and will—making it a complete inner yoga.
• Surrender (śaraṇāgati)**: The ego dissolves not through analysis, but through offering. The heart becomes the altar.
• Grace (prasāda)**: Bhakti invokes the divine’s response, which lifts the veil of Māyā not by force, but by compassion.

Here, sādhana is not a conquest, but a communion—a merging of the finite with the infinite.

🔄 The Deeper Integration: Sādhana as Inner Transformation
When Advaita and Bhakti converge, sādhana becomes:

• A purification of perception: Seeing the world not as nāma–rūpa, but as Brahman.
• A transformation of identity: From “I am this body” to “I am That.”
• A sanctification of life: Every act, thought, and breath becomes an offering.

This is the sādhana that sustains conviction—not by suppressing Māyā, but by seeing through her.

Sādhana as Personal Transformation

1. From Habitual to Intentional Living
Sādhana introduces discipline with awareness. Whether it’s meditation, mantra, or study, each act becomes infused with purpose. Over time, this shifts one’s default mode from reactive to reflective.

“Sādhana is that time you set aside every day to connect with yourself and your tradition… to explore your own physical, emotional and energetic landscape.” — Continuum Yoga

2. Ego Dissolution and Identity Reorientation
True sādhana is not about adding new layers of identity—it’s about peeling them away. Through surrender (śaraṇāgati) and inquiry (ātma-vichāra), the seeker moves from “I am this body” to “I am That.”

“Sādhana is a disciplined surrender of the ego… a daily reminder of one’s higher purpose.” — Spiritual Guru

3. Emotional Maturity and Resilience
Sādhana doesn’t bypass discomfort—it embraces it. Boredom, resistance, and uncertainty become part of the path. This cultivates emotional depth and the ability to hold paradox without collapse.

“Humility allows a student to trust their teacher and creates the space to struggle with uncertainty.” — Continuum Yoga

4. Integration of Head, Heart, and Hands
Whether through Advaita’s clarity or Bhakti’s warmth, sādhana harmonizes intellect, emotion, and action. It’s not just about knowing or feeling—it’s about becoming.

• Head: Discrimination and study
• Heart: Devotion and surrender
• Hands: Service and discipline

5. Alignment with Dharma and Grace
As the seeker transforms, life itself begins to align. Choices reflect deeper values, relationships become sanctified, and grace (prasāda) flows more freely—not as reward, but as resonance.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s teachings on sādhana are a masterclass in personal transformation—not through mystical experiences or emotional highs, but through clarity, discipline, and self-understanding. His approach integrates Advaita Vedanta with a deeply compassionate view of human growth, making sādhana both practical and profound.

🔍 Sādhana as the Bridge to Sādhya

In his book Sādhana Sādhya, Swami Dayananda writes:
“The end in view, sādhya, decides the means, sādhana. The self-dissatisfied, conscious being that every human being is, has only one end—and that is satisfaction centered on oneself.”

This insight reframes sādhana not as a means to become something new, but as a process of discovering what one already is: whole, free, and complete.

🧘 Swami Dayananda’s Vision of Transformative Sādhana

1. Preparation of the Mind

He emphasizes sādhana chatuṣṭaya—the fourfold qualifications—as essential groundwork:

• Viveka: Discrimination between real and unreal
• Vairāgya: Dispassion toward ephemeral pleasures
• Śamādi ṣaṭka sampatti: Inner discipline
• Mumukṣutva: Intense longing for liberation

This isn’t just checklist spirituality—it’s a psychological purification that transforms how one sees and responds to life.

2. Self-Knowledge as the Ultimate Sādhana

Swami Dayananda insists that mokṣa is not an event, but a recognition:

“You are already what you seek to become.”

This shifts sādhana from effortful striving to contemplative inquiry. The transformation lies in dropping false notions, not acquiring new ones.

3. Compassionate Realism

He acknowledges the emotional and psychological struggles of seekers. His teachings often include:

• Self-acceptance: Not judging oneself by the mind’s fluctuations
• Emotional maturity: Cultivating empathy, patience, and resilience
• Integration: Harmonizing duties, relationships, and spiritual inquiry

This makes sādhana sustainable—not a sprint, but a lifelong unfolding.

4. Bhakti as Inner Refinement

Though rooted in Advaita, Swami Dayananda honors Bhakti as a vital sādhana:

• Devotion purifies the heart
• Surrender dissolves ego
• Grace complements effort

He often taught that jñāna and bhakti are not two paths, but two wings of the same bird.

📜 Sādhana Pañcakam: 40 Steps to Liberation

Composed by Ādi Śaṅkara, Sādhana Pañcakam is a concise text of five verses that lays out 40 practical instructions for spiritual seekers. It’s not just a poetic composition—it’s a roadmap from karma to jñāna, from confusion to clarity.

Key Themes:

• Daily Vedic study (vedo nityam adhīyatām)
• Performing duties as worship (karma svanuṣṭhīyatām)
• Renunciation of desires (kāmye matis tyajyatām)
• Recognizing the defects of worldly pleasures (bhava-sukhe doṣo’nusandhīyatām)
• Consistent Self-inquiry (ātmechchhā vyavasīyatām)

Each verse builds on the previous, guiding the seeker from outer discipline to inner freedom. You can explore a detailed breakdown of all 40 steps on Satyavedism’s translation page.

Teachings at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam (AVG)

Founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, AVG is a living embodiment of Sādhana Pañcakam in action. It offers a structured, immersive environment for seekers to engage in:

1. Vedanta Courses

• Long-term residential programs on Bhagavad Gītā, Upaniṣads, and Brahma Sūtras
• Emphasis on śravaṇa–manana–nididhyāsana (listening, reflection, contemplation)

2. Sanskrit and Vedic Heritage

• Language training to access scriptures directly
• Cultural immersion through rituals, chanting, and temple worship

3. Yoga and Meditation

• Physical and mental discipline as part of holistic sādhana
• Integration of karma yoga and upāsana practices

4. Emotional Maturity and Dharma Living

• Swami Dayananda emphasized emotional growth as a prerequisite for jñāna
• Teachings include practical tools for relationships, work, and inner balance

You can explore current courses and events at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam’s official site.

🎧 Living the Text: Audio Teachings

Swami Muktatmananda’s 7-class audio series on Sādhana Pañcakam offers a guided journey through each verse, making it accessible and deeply personal for modern seekers.

Vivekachudamani—the “Crest Jewel of Discrimination”—offers some of the most elegant illustrations of how even the intelligent can be subtly deluded by Māyā, and how true viveka (discernment) leads to personal transformation. Let’s explore a few key verses that illuminate this theme:

🧠 Verse 16: The Rare Gift of Human Birthjantūnāṁ narajanma durlabham atah pumstvaṁ tato vipratā…

Among all beings, human birth is rare. Rarer still is being a seeker, and rarer than that is gaining the guidance of a true teacher.
🔹 Insight: Intelligence alone isn’t enough. Without humility and guidance, even the brightest mind can remain trapped in Māyā’s web.

🔍 Verse 23: The Need for
discrimination

vivekino na vinā mokṣaḥ Liberation is not possible without discrimination. Mere scholarship or ritual cannot pierce the veil.

🔹 Illustration: The intelligent may master texts, but unless they apply viveka to discern the Self from the non-Self, Māyā continues to operate.

🪞 Verse 129: The Ego’s Subtle Grip

ahaṅkāraḥ kāraṇaṁ bandhasya Ego is the cause of bondage. Even refined ego—“I am a seeker,” “I am wise”—is still ego.

🔹 Illustration: Māyā fools the intelligent by spiritualizing the ego, making it seem noble or enlightened.

🕉️ Verse 280: The Nature of the Self

na me janma maraṇaṁ na me janma bandhaḥ “I have no birth, no death, no bondage.” This is the declaration of the realized one.

🔹 Transformation: When the intelligent seeker truly internalizes this—not just intellectually but existentially—Māyā’s veil begins to dissolve.

🧘 Swami Dayananda’s Commentary

Swami Dayananda often emphasized that Vivekachudamani is not just a poetic text—it’s a mirror for the seeker’s mind. He taught that:

• The intelligent must watch for subtle identifications.
• True viveka is not just analysis—it’s freedom from confusion.
• The goal is not to become something, but to recognize what one already is.

You can explore a full version with Swami Chinmayananda’s commentary on Internet Archive or read a structured overview on Wikipedia’s Vivekacūḍāmaṇi page.

J. Krishnamurti’s entire life and teaching can be seen as a radical response to Māyā, not through traditional Vedantic frameworks, but through direct observation, uncompromising inquiry, and inner revolution.

Let’s explore how he navigated Māyā’s veil:

🧘‍♂️ 1. Renunciation of Role and Identity

Krishnamurti was proclaimed by the Theosophical Society to be the “World Teacher,” a messianic figure. But in 1929, he dissolved the Order of the Star, returned all donations, and declared:

“Truth is a pathless land.”

🔹 Māyā’s trap of spiritual identity—being revered, followed, institutionalized—was rejected. He saw that any role, even a noble one, could become a veil over direct perception.

🧠 2. Freedom from Conditioning

Krishnamurti taught that the human mind is almost entirely conditioned—by culture, religion, education, and memory. This conditioning is Māyā’s subtle machinery.

“The observer is the observed.”

🔹 He invited seekers to observe thought without the thinker, dissolving the duality that Māyā projects. This was his version of viveka—not scriptural, but experiential.

🔍 3. Relentless Self-Inquiry

Unlike traditional ātma-vichāra, Krishnamurti’s inquiry was non-conceptual and moment-to-moment. He rejected authority, method, and even the idea of progress.

“To understand the immeasurable, the mind must be extraordinarily quiet, still.”

🔹 He saw Māyā not as a cosmic force, but as the movement of thought—especially when thought tries to grasp the timeless.

🌿 4. Integration with Nature and Silence

Krishnamurti often spoke of walking alone in nature, listening to birds, watching trees, and entering deep silence. This wasn’t escapism—it was a way to step outside the constructed world of thought and identity.

🔹 In this silence, Māyā’s projections lose their grip. There is no “me” to be deluded.

🕊️ 5. Non-Attachment to Followers or Institutions

Though he founded schools and spoke globally, Krishnamurti never allowed a cult of personality. He discouraged discipleship and insisted that truth must be discovered anew by each person.

“You must be a light to yourself.”

🔹 This is the ultimate rejection of Māyā’s seduction—where even wisdom becomes a commodity, and the teacher becomes a symbol.

🧭 Summary: His Navigation Through Māyā

Ramana Maharshi’s sādhana is one of the most luminous examples of direct realization—radically simple, yet profoundly transformative. Unlike structured paths with elaborate rituals or philosophical scaffolding, Ramana’s approach was rooted in stillness, inquiry, and abiding in the Self. Let’s explore how his sādhana unfolded and what it reveals about navigating Māyā.

🧘‍♂️ The Turning Point: Death Experience at 16

Ramana’s sādhana began spontaneously when, at age 16, he experienced a sudden fear of death. Instead of panicking, he turned inward:

“I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am That which witnesses the death of the body.”

This moment of radical inquiry led to a permanent shift in identity—from jīva to Ātman. He didn’t learn this from books—it was direct, intuitive, and irreversible.

🔍 Core Sādhana: Ātma-vichāra (Self-Inquiry)

Ramana’s central teaching was:“Ask yourself, ‘Who am I?’ Trace the ‘I’-thought to its source.”

This isn’t a mantra or intellectual exercise—it’s a living inquiry. The goal is not to answer the question, but to dissolve the questioner.

Key Features:

• No need for external rituals or practices
• No reliance on scriptural authority
• No effort to attain anything—just abide as the Self

🕉️ Silence as Sādhana

Ramana often taught in silence. His presence itself was transformative. He said:

“Silence is the most powerful teaching. It is the language of the Self.”

In his view, Māyā is sustained by thought. Silence dissolves thought, revealing the substratum—pure awareness.

🪷 Daily Life as Sādhana

Though he lived at Arunachala, Ramana didn’t isolate himself. His sādhana was expressed through:

• Compassionate interaction with devotees
• Simple living and service
• Unwavering presence in the Self

He showed that sādhana is not separate from life—it is life lived from the center of Being.

🧠 No Doership, No Attainment

Ramana emphasized that liberation is not something to be attained—it is already the case. The only obstacle is the false identification with the ego.

“There is no mind to control if you realize the Self.”

This is the ultimate dismantling of Māyā: not by fighting illusion, but by seeing through it.

📚 Complementary Practices

Though Ramana didn’t prescribe rituals, he acknowledged:

• Bhakti as a purifier of the heart
• Soham meditation as a valid aid
• Scriptural study as helpful if it leads to direct inquiry

He translated key texts into Tamil and guided seekers according to their temperament.

Let’s explore how Ramana Maharshi and J. Krishnamurti each navigated Māyā—two towering figures, both piercing illusion, yet walking vastly different paths.

🧭 Two Paths Through Māyā: Ramana vs. Krishnamurti

🕉️ Ramana’s Vision of Māyā

Ramana taught that Māyā is not a cosmic force outside us—it is the mind itself, the mistaken identity “I am this body.” He said:

“Māyā is yā mā—‘what is not.’ It appears only when the mind appears.”

🔹 In deep sleep, there is no Māyā because the mind is absent. 🔹 In ātma-jñāna, the mind dissolves, and Māyā vanishes.

His method was radical simplicity: turn inward, trace the “I”-thought to its source, and abide as pure awareness. No need to fight Māyā—just stop identifying with it.

🔍 Krishnamurti’s Vision of Māyā

Krishnamurti saw Māyā as the movement of thought, especially when thought tries to grasp timeless truth. He taught:

“The observer is the observed.”

🔹 Thought creates division, time, and psychological suffering. 🔹 Freedom comes not by method, but by choiceless awareness—watching without control or judgment.

He didn’t speak of Brahman or Self, but of freedom from the known—a state beyond conditioning, where Māyā loses its grip.

🧘‍♂️ Integration for the Seeker

For someone like you, Raj, who integrates Advaita and Bhakti in your sādhanā, both paths offer luminous insights:

• Ramana’s path is inward stillness, dissolving the ego in the light of the Self.
• Krishnamurti’s path is radical clarity, burning illusion through direct perception.

Would you like to explore how Bhakti complements these paths—perhaps through the lens of surrender vs. inquiry?

Let’s explore a comparative map between Ramana Maharshi’s sādhana and Ādi Śaṅkara’s Sādhana Pañcakam, which outlines 40 steps across 5 verses. Though both lead to mokṣa, their approaches reflect distinct temperaments—one spontaneous and intuitive, the other methodical and structured.

🧭 Comparative Table: Ramana Maharshi vs. Sādhana Pañcakam

🪷 Integration Possibility

For seekers like you,  who value both Advaita clarity and Bhakti warmth, these paths can be complementary:

• Use Sādhana Pañcakam to prepare the mind—refine viveka, cultivate śraddhā, and align lifestyle.
• Then, enter Ramana’s path of direct inquiry, where the purified mind can dissolve into the Self.

This mirrors the adhyāropa–apavāda method: first provisionally build the ladder, then discard it once the summit is reached.

For a seeker like you—deeply engaged in Vedanta, Bhakti, and practical inquiry—an integrated sādhana that draws from J. Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, and Śaṅkara’s Sādhana Pañcakam can offer a rich, multidimensional path. Let’s weave them together into a living framework that honors both Self-enquiry and devotional surrender.

🧭 Three Paths, One Goal: Integration Map

🪷 Integrated Sādhana Framework for You

1. Morning: Bhakti + Observation

• Begin with prārthanā or stotra (e.g., Dakṣiṇāmūrti or Śiva Mahimna)
• Sit in silence, observing thoughts without judgment (JK-style)
• Let awareness rest in the heart—not as a technique, but as presence

2. Midday: Karma Yoga + Reflection

• Engage in service (e.g., donor management, poster design) as īśvara-arpaṇa
• Practice viveka in action: “Is this from ego or from Self?”
• Use Sādhana Pañcakam steps like satsaṅga, śāstra-vicāra, and seva

3. Evening: Self-Enquiry + Surrender

• Sit for ātma-vichāra: trace the “I”-thought to its source (Ramana-style)
• If mind resists, shift to śaraṇāgati: “O Arunachala, reveal Thyself”
• Let both enquiry and surrender dissolve into mauna

🔄 Dynamic Interplay

• JK’s choiceless awareness prevents dogma and keeps inquiry fresh
• Ramana’s vichāra gives a direct route to the Self
• Śaṅkara’s structure ensures the ego is refined and ready

This integration reflects adhyāropa–apavāda: build the ladder (structure), climb with awareness (JK), and dissolve into Being (Ramana).

In J. Krishnamurti’s teachings, choiceless awareness refers to a state of pure observation—free from judgment, control, or preference. It is:

• Non-reactive: No grasping or rejecting of experience
• Non-dual in attention: No observer separate from the observed
• Timeless: Not bound by psychological time or becoming

He said:

“In the state of choiceless awareness, the mind is completely silent. That silence is not the result of control, discipline, or suppression. It is the silence of total attention.”

🕉️ Is It the Self?

From an Advaita Vedanta perspective, choiceless awareness is not exactly the Self (Ātman), but it is a gateway to recognizing the Self.

Why?

• Choiceless awareness is still a state—a movement of attention.
• The Self is not a state—it is sat-chit-ānanda, the unchanging reality behind all states.
• When choiceless awareness becomes effortless and identity-free, it can dissolve the ego and reveal the Self.

So: 🔹 Choiceless awareness is not the Self, but when practiced deeply, it removes the veils of Māyā and allows the Self to shine forth.

🪷 Ramana Maharshi’s View

Ramana would say:

“The Self is ever-present. You don’t need to attain it—you need to stop identifying with what you are not.”

In this light, choiceless awareness is a means of disidentification—a way to stop clinging to thoughts, roles, and preferences. When the “I”-thought dissolves, what remains is the Self.

🔄 Integration for Your Sādhana

For a seeker like you, Raj, choiceless awareness can be:

• A preparatory lens: Observing without grasping
• A refining tool: Dissolving subtle ego and conditioning
• A bridge to vichāra: Once the mind is quiet, trace the “I”-thought to its source

How choiceless awareness intersects with nididhyāsana, the contemplative phase in Advaita Vedanta.

🧠 Nididhyāsana: The Final Integration

In Advaita, nididhyāsana is the deep, unwavering contemplation of the truth already grasped through śravaṇa (listening) and manana (reflection). It’s not about acquiring new knowledge, but about abiding in the Self—I am Brahman—until all habitual misidentification dissolves2.

Shankara defines it as:

“Meditate; reflect steadfastly, on the meaning of my words” (nischayena dhyātum iccheti).

🧘‍♂️ Choiceless Awareness Within Nididhyāsana

While Krishnamurti’s choiceless awareness avoids method or tradition, its quality of pure, non-reactive attention is deeply compatible with nididhyāsana. Here’s how:

So while Krishnamurti rejects method, Vedanta embraces it—but both point toward a state of effortless being, free from the chooser.

🔄 Practical Synthesis for Your Sādhana

For you, this can be a powerful integration:

• Use choiceless awareness to quiet the mind and dissolve reactivity.
• Then, in that silence, contemplate the mahāvākya—not as a thought, but as a living truth.
• Let the I-thought dissolve not by force, but by clarity: I am not the thinker—I am awareness itself.

This is where nididhyāsana becomes living Vedanta—not just intellectual, but experiential.

At first glance, choiceless awareness and śaraṇāgati (surrender) may seem like divergent paths: one rooted in radical observation, the other in devotional offering. But when integrated, they reveal a profound synergy. Let’s explore how śaraṇāgati can stabilize and deepen choiceless awareness, especially for a seeker like you who blends Advaita and Bhakti in lived sādhanā.

🧘‍♂️ Choiceless Awareness: The Fragile Flame

Krishnamurti taught that choiceless awareness is:

• Non-selective attention: observing without judgment or preference
• Freedom from the observer: no “I” watching—just pure seeing
• Beyond method: not cultivated through effort, but revealed in stillness

Yet for many seekers, this awareness is fleeting. The ego returns. Thought reasserts control. The mind subtly begins to “watch itself,” and the purity is lost.

🕉️ Śaraṇāgati: The Stabilizing Force

Śaraṇāgati, as taught in Bhakti traditions and affirmed by Vedanta, is:

• Total surrender of doership: “I am not the knower, not the controller.”
• Trust in the divine order: letting go of resistance and grasping
• Emotional anchoring: devotion melts the ego’s rigidity

When choiceless awareness is paired with śaraṇāgati, it becomes:

• Effortless: no need to “maintain” awareness—it flows from surrender
• Ego-free: the watcher dissolves in the act of offering
• Heart-centered: awareness is no longer dry or cerebral—it is infused with love

🔄 How Śaraṇāgati Stabilizes Awareness

🪷 Practical Integration for Your Sādhana

Here’s how you might weave this into your daily practice:

1. Begin with Bhakti

• Chant or mentally offer a stotra (e.g., Śaraṇāgati Gadyam or Arunachala Akṣaramanamālai)
• Feel the presence of the divine—not as concept, but as living intimacy

2. Enter Choiceless Awareness

• Let the mind settle in that devotional presence
• Observe thoughts, sensations, emotions—without grasping or rejecting

3. Return to Surrender

• If the ego arises, don’t fight it—offer it
• Say inwardly: “This too I surrender. Let Thy will be done.”

This cyclical rhythm—devotion → awareness → surrender—creates a living sādhana that is both luminous and grounded.

These two compositions—Śaraṇāgati Gadyam by Śrī Rāmānuja and Arunachala Akṣaramanamālai by Bhagavān Ramana Maharshi—are radiant expressions of śaraṇāgati (surrender), each arising from a different philosophical tradition yet converging in their spiritual essence. Let’s explore them side by side:

🕉️ Śaraṇāgati Gadyam: Surrender in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava Tradition

📜 Composer: Śrī Rāmānuja (11th century)

This is one of the earliest and most profound prose prayers in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition. It’s a dialogue of surrender—a heartfelt plea to Śrī (Lakṣmī) and Nārāyaṇa for liberation.

✨ Key Themes:

• Approaching Śrī first: Rāmānuja begins by surrendering to Lakṣmī, the compassionate mediator, before approaching Nārāyaṇa.
• Confession and humility: He admits his ignorance, sins, and inability to follow rigorous paths like bhakti-yoga.
• Total surrender (prapatti)**: He offers himself completely, asking only for eternal service at the feet of the Lord.

“I am ignorant, helpless, and without refuge. I surrender to You, the refuge of the refuge-less.”

🪷 Spiritual Impact:

• It bypasses intellectual debate and enters the realm of pure devotion.
• It affirms that mokṣa is granted by grace, not earned by merit.
• It’s recited in many Divya Desam temples and remains a cornerstone of prapatti sādhana.

You can read the full text and commentary in this PDF edition or explore a detailed breakdown of the first chūrṇai on Koyil.org.

🔥 Arunachala Akṣaramanamālai: Surrender in the Direct Path of Ramana Maharshi

📜 Composer: Bhagavān Ramana Maharshi (20th century)

This is a garland of verses (108 in total) offered to Arunachala, the sacred hill seen as the embodiment of Śiva. Each verse ends with “Arunachala,” making it a rhythmic, devotional outpouring.

✨ Key Themes:

• Longing and intimacy: Ramana pleads with Arunachala to draw him in, dissolve his ego, and reveal the Self.
• Self-enquiry through surrender: Though Ramana taught ātma-vichāra, this poem shows that surrender and enquiry are not opposed.
• Non-dual devotion: Arunachala is not “other”—it is the Self, the heart, the source.

“You who drew me to Yourself, now do not abandon me, Arunachala!”

🪷 Spiritual Impact:

• It’s a living example of Bhakti within Advaita.
• It shows that surrender is not weakness, but the deepest strength.
• Many seekers use it as a daily prayer, a mantra, or a contemplative mirror.

You can find translations and commentaries through the Arunachala Ashrama or in Ramana’s collected works.

🔄 Integration for Your Sādhana

General principles of meditation,  the alert witnessing, as generally described by Swami TV
Atma Bodha (meditation verses 36-40)

-Sitting in a quiet place in a comfortable position on a chair or mat keeping the body absolutely still.
-Witness the body as the “gross mechanical process”, and see that it is from the “Witness/Observer/Self” point of view.
-With a stillness of the body, the mind also becomes still. The mind is just the “subtle mechanical process”.
-Witness the mind,  and any remaining noodle thinking will gradually disappear.
-The Self is not the intellect, or ego of the person who is meditating, nor the timekeeper etc. just the observer.
-With greater clarity, the Witness can be gained and regained quickly (in case of disturbance).
-Also, over time, the witnessing can be maintained during other walks of life such as walking, eating etc . Being mindful and aware of all actions and functions of the body and mind as they act together for any functions to work together.

Alertness and constant Attention to the Mind is Meditation!
-Watching the mind causes the mind to break up any “noodle (twisted, busy)” thinking of past and future, and remain in the present moment and think only as needed.
-This is the Vedantic way to allow the mind to be silent (unlike the yogic method of forced silence).
-This method is also called Jnana Agnihi (knowledge based “flame of attention”) that eliminates/burns off past and future “perceived” issues.
-Need to kindle this flame as much as possible with this understanding.  And this requires no “effort”. No deep thinking, no analysis etc, just watching.

**”Achintanam eva Brahma Chintanam”  Such thoughtless, silent mind is then free to allow Atma realization.   Mind has become “no mind”.  Mind dissolves in Atma.
Stabilized such understanding, leads to SarvaAtma Bhava and Tattvamasi follows.

**This kind of Attention has no “forced effort”, and so it does not exhaust one (no Karma). It brings freshness and freedom and allows Love to express and spread. This brings one into the spiritual dimension.

This brings Joy in day-to-day Life in whatever Prarabda karma brings to the body-mind complex for its transactions.

Remind oneself that true Meditation is ongoing Attention!!

Transcend the Immediate…

Get this expression: the immediate. What is the immediate? It is the body, mind, surroundings, and developing situations in which I find myself. This is the immediate. The immediate changes from time to time, but it is still the immediate.    This causes thoughts to appear and wander all over.

I watch my mind (as I watch a flow of river). I am inspired by it because there is always beauty in watching.
The mind always flows and brings a lot of content. The mind begins with a thought about something and steadily builds upon that thought. It is like stacking brick upon brick and building a wall. Brick by brick or thought by thought, the mind creates a situation. The situation may not be physical or factual; it is entirely mental. I see this situation and pulls me into it. This happens all through life.

Can I disentangle myself from this flow?  Just ask, “How? How to disentangle from the flow?” It is very simple – by watching the flow. One may say that it is not easy. That may be so. Therefore, just try to watch the flow. That should not be difficult. If you fail, try again to watch the flow. You can notice one thing: as you try to watch the flow, the situation created by the flow loses some of it burden. If you continue to watch the flow, the situation starts to melt away. Let it take its time; you continue to watch the flow. Gradually the situation will melt away. The mind gradually becomes slow and you transcend the immediate.

Now I transcend the immediate (created by the wandering mind of flowing thoughts). I allow the immediate to drop, but I remain simple. However complex the immediate may be, as I transcend I remain simple and single. I am. There is nothing else. I am. I alone am.

Keep it Simple and Single – Aham Asmi

Not Me and Mine – This brings in Mind, and its role play and much more complexity.

………………….

One has to tell oneself “relax” and see what happens.  “What am I – the material body, the thinking body, or the inner light of awareness?” I am that light; I am the awareful being. It is obvious because I am aware. I am not physical, but aware. The physical cannot be aware. I am aware of the surroundings, the people, and the hall even without opening the eyes. I am aware of the surroundings through the prism of the mind. The mind is very quiet as I am aware. Then notice the distinction between being aware vis-à-vis thinking. When I am aware there is almost no thinking, no flow of thoughts. That is what we call the silent mind. I am aware of the silent mind.
Be aware of the sounds around – sounds afar or the sounds nearby – but without naming the sounds and without judging them. The trick is being aware without naming and judging.  That is meditation.  For example, visualize you are walking in the woods alone. If you go on walking and thinking, you do not know what is meditation. That is not meditation. Suppose you are walking and aware of the surroundings – trees and plants – in a general way, with only that much of the mind’s involvement. You are aware and desist from naming any tree or plant. Do not even judge as good or not good; just be aware. Also be aware of your walking. There is no flow of thoughts. That is meditation, a walking meditation. At present I am aware of the sounds around without naming. There is indeed a small involvement of mind, but no flow of thoughts.

Now I am aware of the body – this body. Can I be aware of the body as “this body,” without projecting it as either mine or as me? You need not identify all the time. I am aware of the body as “this body,” either as “mine” nor as “me.” Scan the body: the feet, legs, knees, thighs, seat, abdomen, chest, hands, shoulders, back, neck, face, skull, this body. Scan the body again, checking when the sense of me arises: the feet, legs, knees, thighs, seat, abdomen, chest, hands, shoulders, back, neck, face, brain and skull, the head in general. Where do you sense the sense of “me”? . If you carefully discern, you find that you get the sense of “me” in the brain cells, not in the heart. This is learning, not knowledge. The person defined by “me” and “mine” is in the head. People take that as real but it is not, which means the brain cells are  projecting “me” and “mine.” You have to counter that, but not by putting more knowledge in the brain cells, because that becomes “my knowledge.” That is not the solution. You counter it by learning, meaning you see that the “me” and “mine” person is located in the brain cells. That is the first step.
The second question is, “Is this me and mine real?” (Transient Ego?)

Then the third and final step is to abide in the heart: descend, arrive in the heart, and abide as “I am,” aham asmi. This is entirely different from “me” and “mine.” It is the simple “I am” in the heart.

“I am this and that” is complex, which is the brain. “I am” is not only simple, but also single. This is the mantra – simple and single I am in the heart. This is learning; wisdom, if you will. This is the mahãmantra – I am in the heart; aham asmi. or even aham aham aham.

“Meditation offers an opportunity to understand the movement of thought”

Understanding with love is Jnana. Love with understanding is Bhakti. With contemplation there is transformation of the consciousness to blossom as saranagati. 3 steps
a) Accepting Sarva – Accepting ALL is the Higher Power.   As saguna forms: Akasa (space), vayu (wind), agni (fires), apah (waters in all forms), prithvi (solids of all forms).  Also as Sattva (intelligence), rajoguna (energies), tamoguna (matter).
And all the Nirguna (unseen)forms,  is together the Higher power.

b) All happens by Will of the Higher power.
– laws of nature
– life/death, consciousness
contemplation on this leads to self-surrender

c) I look at myself.  the inner workings of my body, my breathing, heart,my mind, thinking, life, death etc.
Whatever happens in this body-mind is Sarvah Sivah. Sarangato’ham. I surrender myself to that Higher power. Instant liberation and fragrance of freedom!.

Be alert and also relaxed; not stressed or sleepy. You become alert just by telling yourself to be alert. Sitting upright helps. The alertness is awareness. It is your nature. It is intrinsic to you, but it does not feel that way because the mind is making a lot of noise. You see that. Even though awareness is my very nature, my very essence, I do not feel that way because the mind is making a lot of noise. This is not knowledge; it is learning. See the difference. This is learning or understanding oneself.
How do I learn about myself, understand myself?  I have to guide myself. This does not mean that I am belittling the scriptures or the guru.  I have to understand myself in order to become free from sorrow and fear. There is no choice. It is not optional.

The only way is by looking at myself, by being attentive to myself.  By examining, I can see the difference between awareness and thinking, and the connection between the two.
When you are aware, if you notice, you are not thinking or at least you are not thinking much, and when you are thinking you are not aware. Thus, thinking acts as a veil. See the connection between awareness and thinking. I am aware of myself; I am not thinking about myself. Suppose I start thinking about myself. What happens? Very soon I become unhappy or insecure or both. On the other hand, when I am aware of myself I am what I am – neither unhappy nor insecure.
The thing to be done is to sit alone and be aware of yourself. In other words, I look at myself. That is meditation.
Meditation is neither an escape from life nor an escape from the world.  Meditation is not an intellectual affair. Meditation is not pursuing an image or a sound or a vision in the sense that something will appear. Whatever appears is not real. Meditation is not a pursuit of a goal. If I am alert and look at myself, that is meditation.

You need not make an effort to put the world aside; just look at yourself. A miracle happens. The world is put aside; the world vanishes. Try to get this.
The world exists only by your permission. If I deny permission – simply look at myself and deny permission – the world does not exist anymore. The world exists by my permission. This is the drsti-srsti vãda. I look at myself and realize that the world exists by my permission. This realization is meditation.

Meditation is an art; it is beauty; it is the science of life.  When I look at myself, I do not feel myself as the body. I feel myself certainly, but not as the body. Somehow, I am beyond the body. I look at myself.
As I look at myself clearly, I am not the thinking mind. Battling the mind is not meditation. The mind is only battle with all its conflicts, whereas as I look at myself, as I be myself, which is one and the same, I do not feel myself as the thinking mind. This is a revelation about myself. I look at myself.

Sthira sukham ãsanam is a sutra, and serves as a pointer in meditation. . Sthira sukham ãsanam becomes a meditation. Sthira is about the body, sukham is about the mind, and ãsanam is about myself. Thus, the sütra presents viveka, discrimination, very well. The three dimensions – body, mind, and myself – are clearly understood. It is not knowledge, but understanding.
It is obvious that there is a mix- up. The spiritual is getting mixed up in the physical and psychological. What is to be done? There is nothing to be done. It is not about doing. It is about understanding the error or mix-up. Understand by contemplating, nididhyãsanam. In this, you guide yourself. Outer guidance is there, but primarily you guide yourself. When one is one’s own authority, it liberates, whereas outsourcing the authority corrupts.

Sthira’. The body is sthira. Become sthira by sitting upright and keeping it still. In fact, keeping the body still without any movement is itself samadhi because there are no thoughts. Keep the body still without any movement, except for the breath. A thought may come, or an urge to move – ignore them. You may do this sthira meditation 3-5 minutes once or twice a day. It will bring an enormous transformation. Be still.

Sukham’. Now we come to the mind. To be relaxed is very much possible. There is stress in some parts of the body; that is the mind affecting that part of the body. Relax all parts of the body. Sport a smile, which relaxes the muscles of the face and brain cells.

When you relax and remain alert, that is understanding. To be relaxed and aware is sadhana. Sadhana is not strenuous effort. Effort leads to conflict, not understanding. As you learn to relax and be alert, you understand and are aware of the mind. Sukham. Now the body is still and the mind is relaxed, and I am aware of it.

Ãsanam’. “I be” in the heart. To “just be” is not a method, a system, or even a word because a word is not the thing. It is myself. As I hear the word “being,” I reach beyond the expression of that word and arrive at myself. Just be. Why “just be”? Because there is nothing to do. All actions are in the body and mind, whereas “I am” – the being – is actionless. Just be. The being is the inner light because being shines as knowing. What about God? God alone manifests as this pure being. Being is God.

Look at yourself. Sit upright and remain relaxed.
The vagrant mind becomes quiet and calm by itself. It is not an induced quietness or calmness. It just becomes quiet by itself when I look at myself. This is the first step in the journey of self- knowledge; namely, I look at myself. This is meditation – looking at myself. As I look at myself, I encounter the body.

I am aware of the body as “this body.” I am aware of the organs of action: the legs that move around, the hands that hold things, and the organ of speech that speaks. I am aware of these functions. Then I am aware of the eyesight in the eyes, the hearing in the ears, smell in the nose, taste in the tongue, and touch in the skin. I am aware of these faculties. Just being aware of “what is” is not belief, faith, or speculation; it is not any image or vision. All of those are not meditation. Being aware of “what is” is meditation. As you are aware, you understand. That is learning, in contrast to the knowledge of the brain.

When I am aware of the breath, which is life, breathing becomes slow as you are aware of it – in out, in out. Don’t manipulate breath. Just be aware. It is very simple. If you manipulate * breath, you are the doer. If you are aware without manipulation, you are the witness. The breath functions by its own laws, which are the laws of nature. There is no will involved. Every single time I am aware of something, I am stepping back. I step back from breath as I am aware of the breath.
The mind is mostly very quiet. I am aware of the mind, which is calm and quiet. I am aware of this silent mind. You may notice that when you are aware of the mind and it becomes mostly quiet, it is neither pleasurable nor painful. Pleasure and pain are merely states of the mind that happen by habit. I understand the mind, its movement, and its states. This is direct learning. You learn about the mind by watching it. I am aware of the mind.

Be aware of the brain. You can easily locate the sense of mama, mine, in the brain. Also locate the sense of “me” in the brain. Where are “mine” and “me”? They are in the brain cells. They arrived there by habit. Be aware of “mine” and “me” in the brain cells. Stepping back is tricky, but keep trying. As you are aware of “me” and “mine,” you have already stepped back. To be able to step back from “me” and “mine” is a blessing; it is divinity. That is the godliness. Up to this it is anãtmã, non-self. Put it aside.

Now I am aware of my own being. This is Self, Atma. This is the foundation of all non-self – the basis or the base or the Ground. How to be aware of my own being? Just be. “I be” as I am aware of my own being. I am aware of my own being as “I be”; aham aham aham.

What is meditation? Flowering of thought into awareness is meditation. Flowering of thought into attention is meditation. When you are attentive to the movement of thought, it slows down and even vanishes. That attentiveness is meditation. Then how can you separate it from daily living? You cannot.
When you pay attention to a raindrop falling on the ground, it is meditation. When you pay attention to the body and its condition, it is meditation. When you pay attention to the words of the speaker, it is meditation. Attention is meditation.

Meditation is not a particular doing; rather it is the being. Because meditation is not a doing, it cannot be means to an end. It is both the means and the end. It is the being in which means and end merge.

Relaxed attention, relaxed awareness is meditation. The inner being, which is the relaxed awareness, is meditation. Not only is there a lot of confusion about meditation, it is important to note what is not meditation.
If you enclose yourself in a dark room, is that meditation? When you come out of that kind of meditation, you will go back into the world the way you were before – jealous or happy or greedy and so on. It is only isolating yourself from the world for a short while.
Pursuit of an image or a form of God or a particular power center is an activity of thought, an activity of the believing mind. It is not meditation. After all, an image cannot be the Truth. When you drop such pursuit by understanding, you have taken the first step towards meditation.
Pursuit of a vision is not meditation. Image is in the present and vision is in the future. Both are not meditation because visions are many and are projections of thought. Dropping such pursuits is a step towards meditation.
Pursuit of happiness is not meditation. It creates duality between you and happiness.

In the context of nididhyãsana (Vedantic meditation), even a silent chant is not meditation. It is karma. It is likely to make thought mechanical and becomes a routine.
Sitting in a given posture and engaging in mental activity is not meditation. It is physical, superficial. Meditation cannot be separate from daily life, daily living. Separating meditation from daily living and making it isolation, self- enclosure, pursuit of an image, vision, God, or happiness, and then becoming a worldly person again at the end of that exercise is an everlasting play. Be aware of that game.
Be attentive in life. That is meditation.

Looking at myself is a miracle because as I look at myself, the world vanishes.  If I withhold permission, the world cannot touch me. That is the miracle of looking at myself.
Learn to relax as you look at yourself. The idea is to remain alert and relaxed and look at yourself. Sadhana is not struggling to know more. The secret of sãdhana is to look at yourself, stop struggling, relax, and understand yourself by looking at yourself.

To look at myself is a miracle because as I look at myself, the mind remains quiet. The thinking process has come to a standstill all by itself. That is samadhi. It is effortless, and that is the miracle. As I look at myself, I remain alert effortlessly. I look at myself – ãtmanaiva ãtmãnam pasyet.

Visualize a light shining by itself. Visualize the sun shining by itself. These are the outer lights. When you look at yourself, are you not the inner light, the âtma-jyoti. As I look at myself, I am one with that inner light. As I look at myself, I am connected to that inner light, the light in the heart. Looking at yourself is the same as being with yourself because being is the same as shining – being shines.
Look at yourself. That is meditation; anywhere, anytime. The whole world can wait. Look at yourself.

“Truth – “the unknown,’ which is not an object of thought, cannot be contained in the mind,”

I am relaxed and looking at myself. That is the way to understand myself. As I look at myself, first I encounter the body. Make it a mantra. Idam sariram. this body. That prevents intuitive identification.
Then comes the subtler aspect of looking at myself, namely, looking at the mind.  It appears silent when you watch it, but the moment your guard is down, it starts its machinations. That is what this mind is – ever spinning and controlling life just for its fantasies. That is what the mind does, but it is silent when I watch with alertness.

Like “watching” from a bank the flow of a river and its, content in which you not involved in the flow or in the content and you remain unaffected  by avoiding all judgment and labelling. That is called “watching.”

Similarly, I “watch” the mind in order to understand its movement; not condemning or justifying, certainly not identifying. Often, some incident of the past, which is part of the memory, arrives into the flow of the mind like a wave. I become alert, but then I should not identify with it. Then only there can be alertness. Identification with this wave of memory leads to either pleasure or pain. You seek the pleasure of the past, which is a mistake because pleasure comes with pain. Therefore, as the memory comes like a wave, stop identifying with it. Do not try to seek pleasure from it, even when it is pleasurable. Remain alert and watchful. When the wave is painful, watch it with all its pain. There should be no condemnation or effort to stop it. That leads to struggle, since the wave has arrived already. Therefore, watch it. Every time the wave arrives, watch with patience. The wave comes again and you watch it again. That is not repetition; it is patience. Be certain that by patience, you will eventually become free from the torture of the past. Watch with patience. There is no other way to avoid the problem of the past. Watch with patience.

Then, consider again the content of the flow of the mind. The mind always tries to peep into the future. Understand one thing clearly: the future is utterly unpredictable in the way the word “predictable” is understood. I look at this attitude of the mind to peep into the future, and I advise the mind, “O mind, allow the future to reveal itself. Do not try to peep at the other side of the wall. Leave the future alone. Do not peep into the psychological future. Enjoy the uncertainty of the future. Enjoy the unpredictability of the future. O mind, become wise. Enjoy the glorious uncertainty of the future.”

I try to watch the content of the mind in order to understand the movement of the mind, and that is meditation. Watching and thereby understanding the mind is meditation.

[A poem based on Swami Tattvavidanandaji s
guided meditation on The Presence]
O Mind! What espiest thou beyond the rolling meadows, in the wide green valley afar?
Oh! Look, Sire! A breath-taking spectacle of lush beautiful trees, laden with blossoms of myriad hues.
Hmm. Name and form alone in thy focus, I gather.
O mine eyes! What captures thy sight when they set upon yon trees?
Not leaves, flowers and the like, Sire. Sense I naught but the Presence, the being, luminosity reigning in all quarters.
Furthermore, Sire:
In yonder magnificent mountain peaks, sense I majestic Presence;
In the enchanting full moon, diffusing her lunar radiance, sense I cool Presence;
In the blazing disc, racing across the firmament, sense I dazzling Presence;
In the unfathomable deep blue ocean, sense I tremendous Presence;
And likewise, Sire, I sense the Presence:
under the feet when upon the sea of soft sand; on the face, cradled by gently whispering breeze; before the eyes perceiving the vast expanding horizon; in the vista of the astounding immensity all around.
Yes, Sire. The Presence alone shines in all varied names and forms.
Spoken well are thy words, my child; profound and precise.
Yes, indeed. The Presence I sense, with the sense of touch,
Hence ever aware am I of the Presence, all through waking moments. ,
And gazing inward, into mine heart, a sensation I feel, pulsating as aham aham, I am I am.
What might it be, I ponder. Nay, it is not my heart throb.
Ah! Behold! Tis Life, expressing as sensation. That Life, the Presence is I am. Lo! I sense nothing but my Self.
Thence, is not the Presence within the same as that without, inasmuch as the supreme Presence, the being underlying all names and forms, alone ‘is’—sat the being shining as cit the knowing—the Stillness within.

Swamini Srividyananda

– Sit quietly in a convenient place with little distractions. The aim is to keep the body as still as possible.
– with, the body still, the breathing becomes prominent, Watch the breath, it will slow down
– as the breath slows down, the mental thoughts slow down, and noodle thinking may stop. However, spurious sounds may restart noodle thoughts. Keep watching the mind.
The Aim is to Integrate Body Mind as a whole. This mindful awareness is meditation.

while in silent meditation with still body and steady breath
– be aware of the moving mind, or mobile consciousness.
With alertness, awareness, the mind quietens down to silence, and resolves into its “being”.(Mind is pulled away from its “source the being”, by extreme sensory perceptions, during the waking state. But it can also happen when sitting still for meditation when noodle thinking pops up. It needs to return to its source periodically, in deep sleep or in deep meditation)
– be aware of the silence, im-mobile Consciousness. This takes some viveka (discrimination) to achieve. This is the “ground”. This is the bliss, Ananda. Abide in this. Regain sense of well being.
– Every night, deep sleep allows us to regain, recharge mental and body energies.

Knowledge (all accumulated sensory knowledge is from past experiences, and leads to conditioned responses) of knowns and therefore unknowns leads to divisions.  This applies to God, creation also. Recognizing this divisions and the resulting conflicts / struggles and going beyond is necessary to find peace and ananda.

Subject (mind) and Object (world of senses) can be explored independently. However, it can only lead to more and more subtle “concepts”. e.g. in terms of world – dark matter/ energy etc.  In terms of mind – god consciousness, different gods, different beliefs etc..  does not lead to a solution.   Truth lies in going beyond both subject and object duality, and there is true peace and ananda, Brahman.

Abiding in the Self, that is beyond the divisions (of the cause/effect, subject/object, free from Past conditioning and future etc)
and is spontaneous in Present to just BE.

This is Peaceful, Ananda. This is Meditation. Brahman.

(a talk on vedantic vision)

• Initial distinction is necessary: One must first set aside time for formal practice—meditation, study, contemplation.
• Ultimate goal: To dissolve that boundary so that the peace, clarity, and joy found in practice permeate daily life.
• Vedantic insight: The same consciousness that listens to teachings is also the one driving, shopping, working. Life itself becomes the field of meditation.

• Sri Ramakrishna’s challenge: If God is only seen with eyes closed, what kind of God is that?
• True realization: One should see divinity with eyes open—while engaging with the world.
• Three eyes metaphor: Two physical eyes and the third eye of knowledge (Vedantic vision). When all are open, one sees nonduality in multiplicity.

• Swami Vivekananda’s contribution: The one and the many are the same reality.
• Sister Nivedita’s insight: “To labor is to pray.” The classroom, shop floor, and farmyard are as sacred as the temple.
• Implication: No need to renounce life to find God—divinity is present in all sincere action.

• Without nondual understanding: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Jnana Yoga may feel like conflicting paths.
• With Advaita: All yogas become unified expressions of serving and realizing Brahman.
• Example: Cleaning a temple or teaching students becomes worship when seen through the lens of nonduality.

• Swami Turiyananda’s reflection: “I am Brahman” is difficult to realize directly.
• Temporary duality: Accepting “I” as a wave and “Thou” as the ocean helps bridge the gap.
• Final realization: Both wave and ocean are water—individual and cosmic consciousness are one.

This talk is a poetic and practical call to live Vedanta, not just study it. It invites the seeker to:

• Begin with structured practice,
• Cultivate the third eye of knowledge,
• See divinity in all aspects of life,
• Harmonize all yogic paths,
• And ultimately dissolve the sense of separation between self and the divine.

This philosophy beautifully aligns with your own approach—integrating spiritual insight with community service and planning.

Prajnanam Brahma (प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म)

Meaning: “Consciousness is Brahman” Source: Aitareya Upanishad (Rig Veda)

Explanation: This Mahavakya asserts that pure consciousness, which is the foundation of all cognitive activities, is Brahman itself. It emphasizes the non-dual nature of reality, where the individual consciousness and the ultimate reality are one and the same.

Contemplation: Reflect on the idea that every experience of consciousness, be it thought, perception, or awareness, is an expression of Brahman. This realization leads to the understanding that the essence of all existence is Brahman.

Aham Brahmasmi (अहं ब्रह्मास्मि)

Meaning: “I am Brahman” Source: Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (Yajur Veda)

Explanation: This Mahavakya conveys the direct realization of the self (Atman) as Brahman. It denotes that the true nature of the individual self is the ultimate reality, Brahman, highlighting the non-dual identity of the self and the cosmos.

Contemplation: Meditate on the unity of the self with Brahman. This practice leads to the dissolution of the ego and the recognition of the self as the infinite, eternal reality.

Tat Tvam Asi (तत्त्वमसि)

Meaning: “That Thou Art” Source: Chandogya Upanishad (Sama Veda)

Explanation: This Mahavakya is a teaching from the sage Uddalaka to his son Shvetaketu. It emphasizes that the individual self (Tvam) is identical to the ultimate reality (Tat). The teaching helps dissolve the false sense of separation between the self and Brahman.

Contemplation: Reflect on the identity of the self with the ultimate reality. This practice involves seeing beyond superficial differences and recognizing the inherent unity in all existence.

Ayam Atma Brahma (अयमात्मा ब्रह्म)

Meaning: “This Self is Brahman” Source: Mandukya Upanishad (Atharva Veda)

Explanation: This Mahavakya declares that the innermost self (Atman) is Brahman. It underscores the idea that the true nature of the self is not different from the ultimate reality, emphasizing the unity of the individual and the cosmos.

Contemplation: Meditate on the nature of the self, recognizing it as the unchanging, eternal reality that underlies all phenomena. This leads to the realization of the non-dual nature of existence.

Practical Application of Mahavakyas

1. Jnana Yoga (Path of Knowledge): Engage in self-inquiry (Atma Vichara) by contemplating these Mahavakyas. Reflect on their meanings and implications, allowing the understanding to deepen your realization of Brahman.
2. Meditation: Use these Mahavakyas as focal points for meditation. Repeating and contemplating these statements can help transcend intellectual understanding and lead to direct, experiential realization.
3. Guidance from a Guru: Seek guidance from a knowledgeable guru who can provide insights and help interpret these Mahavakyas in the context of your spiritual journey.
4. Integration into Daily Life: Apply the teachings of these Mahavakyas in your daily interactions and experiences. Recognize the presence of Brahman in yourself and others, fostering a sense of unity and compassion.

By deeply engaging with the Mahavakyas, seekers can transform their understanding and experience of reality, moving closer to the realization of their true nature as one with Brahman.

Humility / Absence of Pride (amānitvam)
Genuine humility doesn’t draw attention to itself. It refuses the comfort of praise and keeps us
listening to our inner self. The knowledge of our own strength does not need validation from
external sources. This was true of Mother Teresa or Mahatma Gandhi; though they appeared to
care little for themselves, they personified humility, had a clear view of their purpose, and had
universal love

Nonpretentiousness (adambhitvam)
Pretentiousness arises from our own fabricated accomplishments and abilities. A pretentious
person claims achievements that are not their own or feigns to have abilities that do not exist.
Nonpretentiousness on the other hand, is liberty from conceit and freedom from self delusion.
It is the ability to look at oneself honestly and about projecting ourselves truthfully. It is
empowering because truth is possible only if we have utter and quiet confidence in ourselves,
supreme inner strength and absolute selfrespect.

Nonviolence / Noninjury /Nonviolence (ahimsā)
is one of the three cornerstones of Hinduism, the other two being Truth (satyam)
and Selfcontrol (brahmacaryam). ahimsā is more than mere physical nonviolene.
It is about living the principle in the physical, verbal, and mental plane. Respecting that God has created unequal beings for a higher purpose, understanding every living being has a purpose in this world, and remembering that the truly strong never attack the weak, will bring us closer to the principle of nonviolence.

Forbearance / Forgiveness (kṣāntiḥ)
Forbearance is the capacity and ability of an individual to accept in a spirit of accommodation the physically and emotionally uncomfortable situations that we confront on a daily basis without complaining or worrying about it. It is a cheerful exercise in patience. Forbearance is not easy to practice; it asks us to tolerate those things that we find intolerable. The English word forbearance has a connotation of resigned sufferance. However, the sanskrit word kṣāntiḥ refers to patience born out of positive acceptance.

Uprightness (ārjavam)
Uprightness also referred to as straightforwardness, integrity, or, frankness is a key quality necessary to clear the mind and prepare it for knowledge. In practical terms, it is being sincere and honest. Uprightness means consistency in thought, word and action. That is one should say exactly what one thinks, and act according to exactly what one says. When greed and personal fulfillment come into play, being consistent in thought, action and deed, does not work so well. One might lie to get a job, or make money; cheat to get good grades. However in the long term being dishonest creates agitations within oneself, leaves one in a state of fearfulness, and causes diffidence in oneself. On the other hand, the life of an upright person will be worryless, fearless, pious, and therefore righteous.

Service to the Teacher (ācāryopāsanam)
The willingness to serve, a state of being where there is respect and devotion to an extent that nothing is too small or large to give this attitude is referred as the ‘Service’ to the teacher. The contemplation on the teachings of the Guru and complete surrender and service to the teacher,
leads an individual further up the path of spiritual knowledge. It is of importance to remember
though, that the service and surrender is to what the teacher stands for and not to the individual alone. True service and surrender lies in the student trying to attune to the principles advocated by the master.

Purity (śaucam)
Purity implies cleanliness in every aspect of living body, mind, intellect and environment. Inner purity in thoughts and emotions, intentions and motives, passions and urges are as important as physical cleanliness. Just as one’s physical activities pick up external impurities and dirt, so
too, in interactions with people, the mind gathers undesirable thoughts and feelings. Purity involves the removal of such impurities ego, anger, envy, etc.

Steadfastness (sthairyam)
Steadfastness means perseverance or firmness in resolve. It implies a commitment to the completion of one’s pursuit, irrespective of obstacles. Once a worthwhile objective has been set, the steadfast person acts with a firm resolve by working steadily towards it, and ensures
that laziness, excuses, and other distractions do not come in the way of reaching the target.

Self-Control (ātmavinigrahaḥ)
Self-Control is the ability to make a choice on how we think and act rather than do so on an
impulse. If we cannot direct our own thoughts and desires we cannot hope to keep our minds
concentrated on the journey toward God. SelfControl begins at the body level, in controlling the
senses. Our eyes wish to see beautiful forms and colors, the tongue craves good food, nose
likes to smell pleasant fragrances, skin invites soft sensations, and the ears want to hear
pleasant sounds. When we meet the demands of one or all of the senses continuously our
passions will simply consume us. Five senses can be compared to five horses drawing a
chariot. Mind is the charioteer. If mind loses control of even one horse, the chariot would not
move in the proper direction. However SelfControl does not mean total denial either. Denial
could lead to frustration, bitterness and lead to an outburst of suppressed desires. Just like a
tortoise that withdraws all its limbs when in danger , we should also withdraw when we feel that
we are going to fall prey to our senses.

Detachment from the SenseObjects (indriyārtheṣu vairāgyam)
vairāgya is dispassion for sensual objects. It is an advanced state of mind that has transcended
the struggle for control. As long as we are living in this world, it is not possible to avoid contact with sense objects. What we need to do is develop a method of healthy contact with sense objects. When desires are slowly minimized, and completely removed from our mind, the sense objects lose the power to distract us, the mind then prompts us to direct our lives towards spiritual saadhana, and contemplation of the glory of the Lord.

Absence of Egoism (anahaNkāraḥ)
Ego is that which makes us say, “I”. It is this which makes us have attachments to our actions, emotions, possessions, and fear. In our everyday parlance, ego is connected to our sense of who we are: our name, our talent, our achievements. When there is an overestimation of this and the feeling that it is the “I” who has achieved everything that is perceived as successful, then the ego has triumphed. The ego is a good servant but a bad master. In the latter situation it leads to conceit, selfexaltation, pretentiousness, and impure thoughts. To be free of ego means to feel God’s presence everywhere, at all times, in all ways.

Clearly seeing the Defects of Pain in Birth, Death, old age,  and Sickness (janmamrtyujarāvyādhiduḥkhadoṣānudarśanam)
Every physical body goes through modifications such as birth, growth, sickness, old age and
ultimately death. Each of these metamorphoses causes pain to a living being. The only way to
end this pain is to release the self from the cycle of birth and death. Until we recognize the
futility of this cycle of birth and death, we cannot realize the Self. It starts with a realization that
all happiness is only temporary. The only lasting happiness is to be found when we become
one with the allpervading, omniscient, infinitely blissful Brahman, the Supreme.

NonAttachment (asaktiḥ)
Nonattachment is the ability to perform our duties without worrying about the results of our actions. Neither failure, nor success; profit or loss, shall affect the Self. Mind by nature, is extroverted and gets attracted towards a thing or being. The relationship of the mind with the object of fascination is called attachment. Once that relationship ends, the attachment also ends. For instance, how do millions of people enjoy watching a movie with a tragic story line? It is, quite simply, detachment. We look at the pictures on the screen just as a viewer. When we get involved with the characters, or develop an attraction, it is source of sorrow. So it is with the world. When we look at the world impersonally, and objectively, as a viewer, it is beautiful and wonderful. We enjoy every bit of it. But we become miserable and suffer, if we get attached to
the things and beings we interact with, in the world!

Nonidentification of Self with Son, Wife, Home & other possessions (anabhiṣvaṅgaḥ putradāragṛhādiṣu)
Our association with another person or group to the extent where there is an assumption of the
qualities, characteristics, or views of that contact is referred to as identification. This form of identity can be with an idea, country, religion, principle, our own mind or body. Children, Spouse, and home are the most common examples of this state of being and represents the range of possessive thoughts that we are entangled in on a daily basis. This quality is about discarding mental identification with our possessions; our feeling of possessiveness and of
“mineness”. King Janaka was one of the richest men. Sudama was a pauper. Yet both were stalwarts in detachment ; they never identified with anything this world offered . This calls for completion of duty with affection and care, but with objectivity. Nonidentification
frees us from the fear of being nothing, because in fact we are ‘nothing’. 

Constant EvenMindedness (nityam samacittatvam)
A person whose mind is undisturbed in sorrow or in joy is said to possess the quality of
constant evenmindedness. It is a balanced internal state where mind is unagitated by
adversities, delusions or emotions. Evenmindedness should not be mistaken for apathy or
indifference. In fact it is the very opposite. It is not lack of emotion, but positive emotion lacking
in bias and partiality. The quality of equanimity has a practical meaning even in the material
world. We make our best decisions when our mind is calm and clear. Great leaders think calmly
and rationally even under critical conditions before making a decision. Can we trust an angry
President of the United States with access to powerful nuclear weapons? Or will we respect a
leader who trembles with fear in times of adversity? Hence being evenminded is a great virtue
to possess.

Unswerving Devotion (ananyayogena bhaktiḥ)
Devotion or bhakti is the love which flows toward God. It is a state when love for the Supreme fills the heart and every other love we harbor, is reduced to nothing. To develop love for the divine, it is necessary to subjugate the ego. Bhakti is enumerated in a ninefold discipline which can be practiced to achieve Divine Bliss: SravaNam, Keertanam, SmaraNam, pAdasevanam, archanam, vandanam, dAsyam, sakhyam and Atmanivedanam.

Seeking Solitude (viviktadeśasevitvam)
The mind that seeks solitude is one that wants to be with itself and is free from the fear of loneliness. While in loneliness mind is frantic and seeks an outlet through companionship, in solitude the mind is calm and in pursuit of higher goals. The only mode of communication possible with the Self is silence, and hence the Wise seek solitude. It is in solitude and through solitude that one reaches a state of tranquility and through serenity, bliss is achieved.

Love For Quietude (aratirjanasamsadi)
A man of wisdom resorts to solitary places with an aversion for the society of men. The seeker spontaneously withdraws his mind from the multifarious activities around him. It is a natural inversion of the mind towards noble thoughts, not a deliberate aversion to external influences and attractions. The seeker is self-reliant and not dependent on society for his happiness and peace. Naturopaths believe that if you give sufficient rest to the body, it will correct itself and get rid of diseases. Similarly the sages believe that by giving “rest” to the mind intellect
equipment through meditation, it will revive itself. Quietude is relaxing and refreshing.

Constancy in the knowledge of the Self (adhyātmajñānanityatvam)
Satisfaction in the knowledge that We are whole and complete within ourselves bring about a realization that happiness is not available in external things and objects cannot fulfill desire. The principle by whose mere presence the intellect thinks, the mind feels, and the body perceives, is the Supreme Reality. A spiritual seeker is ever conscious of this understanding and every
thought and act with the outside world is a reflection of this realization. The knowledge of the Self is to be lived and not merely learned.

Understanding the end of true knowledge to be liberation (tattvajñānārthadarśanam)
The end of true knowledge is to perceive the Lord in everything. It is to feel the oneness of the universe and through that feeling become closer to the divine within and without. It takes a lot of inner strength to remember God at all times, and keep the love for God flowing. One of the practical ways to bring God in our daily life is to keep repeating His name. Doing Japa helps when we find ourselves forgetting or when we just can’t see God at all, let alone everywhere. The goal of true knowledge is twin attaining perfect inner enlightenment to perceive the Lord
in everything and through this attain liberation. The twenty virtues that Lord Krishna has enumerated are correlated, taking a seeker, step by step, progressively further in the pursuit of this Knowledge.

Life of Sthithapragnya  and his Behavior

At the level of Bodha/Atman, I am ONE reality (Ekatvam)

At the level of Mind, thoughts and emotions, there is Samatvam (Evenness) 

At the level transactional activities of the world, total Asangatvam (detachment)

Powered by Indriya Nighraha – control of body-mind-senses

What does the Sthithapragnya Practice and the resulting benefits.

Jnana Raksha: Protecting the knowledge of spiritual understanding and asking how to make it practical.

Retain control of body and mind so that it acts according to my knowledge and not its previous habits  (vasana)

No more confusion or doubts about the knowledge and not swayed by idle talks or concepts. – Avisamvada.  Steadfastness.
Enlightened person sees the reality (which speaks to the reality within) and acts accordingly (not on fleeting ideas)

The practice leads to Dukkha Nivriti (elimination of sorrow) 

The practice brings about Joy and Bliss in living.  There is “wonder” and fun of watching the play of the world.