Yo jāgāra tamchah kāmayante,
yo jāgāra tamu sāmāni yanti.
Yo jāgāra tamayam soma ahā,
tavāhamasmi sakhye nyokaḥ.
-Rigveda 5/44/14
“He who is enlightened, the (vedic) verses invoke him.
He who is enlightened, the hymns of sāma are sung to him.
He who is enlightened, only to him Soma says that he finds
delight in his friendship.”
The truth of life lies in self-awareness or enlightenment. Only he who is inwardly awake is living in the real sense. The life of an unenlightened person is nothing more than a state of deep unconsciousness or coma. There is not much to choose between a comatose person in a hospital and one who is devoid of self-awareness. The only difference between the two is that unlike the comatose one the latter is able to move and walk around. Both spend almost their entire lives on the support system of involuntary or reflex actions of the unconscious mind. There is no meaning or purpose in such a life.
For this very reason, the essence of jīvana sādhana (holistic refinement of the body, mind and soul) can be encapsulated in one small word “bodha” or enlightenment, i.e. to become awake and perform all actions with full consciousness. Our activities have almost wholly become mechanical. The body has learnt some movements and memorized some set patterns and paths. When we walk, for example, our body knows when to turn left or right, and it mechanically does so. When we reach our homes, we enter through the door. But these actions do not require any real awareness; they are performed automatically, without any conscious volition. In this sense, our entire life, almost ninety percent of it, remains in a state of non-consciousness. This non-consciousness is our bondage. It is as if a big stone is submerged in water with only its tip protruding above. In the same way, the major part of our conscious being, the ‘greater’ mind remains immersed in darkness; only a very small portion of it is visible on the outside. What we know as and call our mind is in fact a very tiny part, and that which we do not even recognize is the much greater part. Modern psychology calls this very hidden entity “unconscious mind”
Rishis (enlightened sages and seers) explain that unless this unconscious mind is made conscious, unless the whole of it gradually becomes filled with light, jivana sadhana will remain incomplete. When the lamp of consciousness is fully lit within us, when every nook and corner of the interior is illumined with its glow, and no part remains in the dark, only then we will become fully enlightened and our jivana sadhana will reach fruition. As this enlightened state of true self-awareness begins to dawn, all the potencies of life, all its mysteries, all kinds of creative talents will automatically start revealing and activating themselves.
What is the process and procedure of this awakening? The first requirement for this is a spirit of enquiry. Only those who enquire or seek deeply, and whose seeking is genuine are able to tread the path of jivana bodha (self-awareness). It is this seed of enquiry that sprouts forth, grows, and gradually leads to awakening. What should be the form of seeking? The answer is that, one should continually reflect on the meaning and nature of life. What is its aim, objective and purpose? Reflect on the present course of life on which we are mindlessly meandering, and on the actions which we are mechanically performing.
“Manasi vichāraya bārambāram” this aphorism of Acharya Shankara tells us that as we begin to ponder over the important questions of life, and as we grow more and more inquisitive about it, we get more and more deeply acquainted with the verities of our life. It is through the genuineness and intensity of seeking that we become able to know ourselves, and then we are surprised at our folly: “Oh! How in the world were we continuing with such a senseless existence”! Enquiry explains to us the meaning and purpose of life; it reveals the raison d’etre of things and empowers us to discriminate between the right and the wrong, the virtuous and the vicious, the purposeful and the purposeless. In short, it makes us conscious and wakeful. This is the natural result of enquiry and may be considered as the second stage in the process of awakening.
In the state of wakefulness, we are able to cognize our strengths and potentials. Correct understanding of the state of mind and meaningful use of the available circumstances are possible in this very condition. Side by side, we can also identify and overcome the psychological and material obstacles which had hitherto prevented us from actualizing our potentials, from giving proper expression to our talents, and from experiencing the pleasure of a meaningful existence.
It is this very depth and intensity of awakening that becomes jivana bodha. Every facet of life, its every nook and corner is illumined with the light of awareness; nothing remains hidden, nothing remains unseen, nothing remains unfamiliar. Every event in life, big or small, becomes a lesson. The whole life becomes a school, a continuing education, instead of being a burden. He who lives in true awareness, utilizes the moments of happiness in the best possible manner. At the same time he also knows how to derive benefit from the times of trials and tribulations. Moments of joy are yoga for him, while moments of pain turn into tapa (disciplinary austerities). In every situation, he has full comprehension of the meaning of existence.
It is in this state that the interior begins to grow with the light of the truth that only those who are wakeful, alert and conscious can walk the path of jivana sadhana. This path is so perilous and demanding that even the slightest sluggishness and carelessness in effort will result in fall and failure; the personality will remain dull, confused and underdeveloped. To understand the different dimensions of the personality and to illuminate them is the first step on the path of jivana sadhana.
Book : Jeevan Sadhana (A Noble Art of Living)
