Path to Self Realization

Most of us while discussing the path & practice leading to ‘self realization’, invariably end up masticating the ideas, words & phrases that we have read or heard.

A lay seeker looks for operational definitions that he could implement and lift himself by the boot straps. You need to commence the quest from your present 'spiritual' state of being, however gross & mundane, to the next more subtle state of being. What I have and what I am (bhogi, vilasi, seeker of transitory pleasures, etc) I know, but the next step forward has to begin from the terra firma of the available sensory and mental footholds in one’s grasp. Pray how does one go about doing it?

In the early seventies in Bombay , I used to attend discourses by Acharya Rajnish at his Woodland abode and in Azad Maidan. And in one of his lectures on Brahm Sutra, he came nearest to explaining the initial tangible steps leading to the next sensitized level that could be receptive to the eternal concept of Brahmasmi.

I quote from memory:

“ We live on the middle floor of a five storied house. There are two levels below and two levels above. The two levels below are the ‘sub-conscious’ and the ‘deep-sub-conscious’. The levels above are – ‘super-conscious’ & ‘supra-conscious’. We are born in this world and live out our whole lives on the middle floor without ever learning of the floors below or above. But at times we do get a glimpse of the immediate levels below and above without recognizing it thus. The example of waking up early in the morning to catch ones train or plane even when the alarm clock did not go off is an example of ‘sub-conscious’ taking over to save the day. Likewise the orgasmic pleasure of intercourse transports you momentarily to the realms of super-conscious. So we need to train our self and mind to move freely in all the five floors before we could embark on the quest for Brahma. It is for this reason that the First Chapter of BRAHM SUTRA begins with..Athato Brahm Jigyasa …. (i.e. After this the quest for Brahma begins ..) By ‘After this’ the allusion is to the state of preparedness i.e. the perceptive ability and sensitivity to move freely among all the floors…”

The operational aspect of preparedness was through ‘sleep meditation’ and ‘dynamic meditation’ that was taught by the various teachers of “Neo Sanyasi International”.

Sleep Meditation I did try but the Dynamic Meditation classes were conducted at Chowpati early in the morning and clashed with the timings of the Titvala Fast Local to Bhandup from VT.So had to be given the go by.

In the words of Faiz:

Woh log bahut khush kismat the
Jo ishq ko kaam samajhte the
Yeh kaam se ashiqui karte the
Hum ji te ji masroof rahe
kuch ishq kiya kuch kaam kiya
Kaam ishq ke aade aata raha
Aur ishq se kaam ulajhta raha
Phir akhir tang aa kar humne
Dono ko adhura chod diya

So that be it.