The supreme method of YOga

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hari Om,

In GItA bhAshya 6.25, Bhagwan BhAshyakAra says -- एष योगस्य परमो विधिः ॥ -- This is the supreme/ultimate method of YOga.

Quite promising and we should take note of it -- this is the ultimate method of YOga. What is it? Can I practise it?

1. Renounce in entirety all desires born out of samkalpa. [कामाः त्यक्त्वा परित्यज्य सर्वान् अशेषतः]

2. Restrain the senses by a discriminating mind. [मनसैव विवेकयुक्तेन ... इन्द्रियसमुदायं ...नियमनं कृत्वा]

3. Slowly withdraw using intellect having perseverance. [शनैः शनैः .. उपरतिं कुर्यात् ... बुद्ध्या ... धैर्येण युक्तया.]

4. Mind is to be established in AtmA by realizing "there is only AtmA. There is no anAtmA". [‘आत्मैव सर्वं न ततोऽन्यत् किञ्चिदस्ति’ इत्येवमात्मसंस्थं मनः कृत्वा]

5. If mind wanders, (a) analyse the swarUpa of anAtmA and realise that they are mere appearance (b) use dispassion - and thus bring the mind back to AtmA. [याथात्म्यनिरूपणेन आभासीकृत्य वैराग्यभावनया च]

6. Just plain don't think anything. [न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत् ।]

This is the ultimate method of YOga. एष योगस्य परमो विधिः ॥

I wish to highlight the aspect of "न किञ्चिदपि चिन्तयेत्". Thought is anAtmA. It is an illusory appearance. Having no existence of its own, it merely appears like a ghost on a post. It does not deserve any attention. It is liable to be ignored summarily. No logic is required therefor. Why to pay attention to find out the details of the ghost appearing on the post. It is liable to be ignored summarily.

So, withdrawing attention from thought -- and thereby thoughts ceasing -- means the situating of seer-of-thought as its own Self. 

This is all. Just plain don't think anything (after having renounced the desires/thoughts on account of discrimination/dispassion/knowledge).

This is the supreme method of YOga. There is nothing conceptually complicated about it. I sit and I withdraw attention from thought. It somehow I find attention shifting to thought, assert the illusoriness of thought and withdraw the attention. And just situate devoid of thought. That is all.

Regards,

Sudhanshu Shekhar.

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hari Om,

It is well known that the Supreme Truth is without any characteristics. It is without any attributes. [अव्यक्तात्तु परः पुरुषो व्यापकोऽलिङ्ग एव च ।]. - KaThOpanishad - 2.3.8

Question arises as to how can such an attribute-less reality be known/seen. [कथं तर्हि तस्य अलिङ्गस्य दर्शनमुपपद्यत इति] - KaThOpanishad BhAshya - 2.3.9

Can such an attribute-less reality be seen/known as an object, or as non-object. [कथं दर्शनमुपपद्यत इति प्रष्टुः कोऽभिप्रायः किं विषयतया दर्शनं वक्तव्यमुताविषयतयैव दर्शनोपायो वाच्यः] - Anandagiri TIkA - 2.3.9

The inner Self does not reside in an object of perception/knowledge. Hence, it cannot be known by any of the senses. Only those entities which are qualified with attributes, rUpa etc can be seen/known. Since this Self is devoid of these, it cannot be known as an object. 

[न सन्दृशे सन्दर्शनविषये न तिष्ठति प्रत्यगात्मनः अस्य रूपम् । अतः न चक्षुषा सर्वेन्द्रियेण, चक्षुर्ग्रहणस्योपलक्षणार्थत्वात् , पश्यति नोपलभते कश्चन कश्चिदपि एनं प्रकृतमात्मानम् ।] - KaThOpanishad BhAshya - 2.3.9

 

[रूपादिमत्तद्विशेषणं च दर्शनविषययोग्यं भवति तदभावादित्यर्थः ।] - Anandagiri TIkA - 2.3.9

Then, it is obvious that this reality can be known only as non-object. 

But still, even as non-object, how exactly is this reality to be known? [कथं तर्हि तं पश्येदिति] - KaThOpanishad BhAshya - 2.3.9

Here, the scheme is as under:

1. Buddhi is located in heart.

2. Mind is of the form of samkalpa etc.

3. Buddhi is controller of mind. Hence, buddhi is also called manIT.

4. The Supreme reality, which is illuminated/supported by samyak-darshana in the form of manana, is known by a buddhi which is devoid of imagination of objects.

[हृदा हृत्स्थया बुद्ध्या, मनीषा मनसः सङ्कल्पादिरूपस्य ईष्टे नियन्तृत्वेनेति मनीट् तया मनीषा विकल्पवर्जितया बुद्ध्या । मनसा मननरूपेण सम्यग्दर्शनेन अभिक्लृप्तः अभिसमर्थितः अभिप्रकाशित इत्येतत् । आत्मा ज्ञातुं शक्य इति वाक्यशेषः ।] - KaThOpanishad BhAshya - 2.3.9

1. When despite the external karaNa such as eyes etc resting, the mind imagines the objects, then the buddhi of the seeker becomes controller. (The buddhi says) - O mind! for what purpose do you run amok like a ghost? (a) Certainly, you have no purpose of your own. You are inert like a log of wood and hence there cannot be a connection of purpose possible for you. (b) As far as objects are concerned - they too are temporal and ephemeral, they are coupled with so many defects. There can be no purpose for you through contact with them. (c) And certainly your running about cannot be for consciousness - for that is completely detached and that is of the nature of supreme bliss.

Thus, buddhi controls the (ghost-like-restless) mind. And hence, it is called manIT.

2. The Self can be known by a buddhi which is devoid of imagination of objects. That supreme reality is known through a modification of buddhi which emanates from MahAvAkya and manifests the Brahman-hood in non-object fashion in the form of "I am Brahman".    

3. What Self can be known - The Self which is illuminated by mind in the form of manana i.e. samyak-darshana. Just as I certainly cannot be anything which is seen by me and is external to me, like pot, cloth etc-- similarly, even in this body-mind-complex also, whatever is seen, cannot be my Self. However, the conscious knowing entity, which is present in this body-mind-complex, is identical in all bodies. It it indicated in all bodies by singular characteristics. That is my Self.

[बाह्यकरणग्रामोपरमेऽपि यदा मनो विषयान्सङ्कल्पयते तदा मुमुक्षोर्बुद्धिस्तस्य नियन्त्री भवति । हे मनः किमर्थं त्वं पिशाचवत्प्रधावसि । न तावत्स्वप्रयोजनार्थम् । तव जडत्वात्प्रयोजनसम्बन्धानुपपत्तेर्विषयाणां च क्षयिष्णुत्वादिदोषदुष्टानां सम्बन्धेन प्रयोजनानुपपत्तेः । नापि चेतनार्थम् । तस्यासङ्गत्वात्परमानन्दस्वभावत्वाच्चेति नियन्तृत्वेन बुद्धिर्मनीडुच्यत इत्याह - मनस इति ।
अविकल्पयित्र्येति । विषयकल्पनाशून्यया ब्रह्मास्मीत्यविषयतयैव ब्रह्मभावव्यञ्जिकया महावाक्योत्थया बुद्धिवृत्त्या ज्ञातुं शक्यत इति सम्बन्धः ।
कथम्भूत आत्मेत्यत आह - मनसेति । यद्यन्मया दृश्यते बाह्यं घटादि तत्तदहं यथा न भवामि तथाऽस्मिन्नपि सङ्घाते यद्यद्दृश्यं तत्तदहं न भवामि किन्तु योऽत्र ज्ञोंऽशः सोऽपि सर्वशरीरेष्वेकलक्षणलक्षितत्वादेक एवेति विचारेण प्रथमं सम्भावित इत्यर्थः ॥ ९ ॥] - Anandagiri TIkA - 2.3.9

But even those who have listened to VedAnta, several do not possess the stability of the buddhi "I am Brahman". Therefore, it is clear that there are some obstacles. Hence, the tools to remove them needs to be spoken. 

श्रुतवेदान्तानामपि केषाञ्चिद्ब्रह्मास्मीतिबुद्धिस्थैर्यादर्शनादस्ति किञ्चित्प्रतिबन्धकान्तरं तदपनयोपायोऽप्यन्यो वक्तव्य इत्यभिप्रेत्याऽऽह - सा हृदिति । - Anandagiri TIkA - 2.3.10

How that buddhi [devoid of imagination of objects] is to be attained? For that purpose, yOga is explained.

[सा हृन्मनीट् कथं प्राप्यत इति तदर्थो योग उच्यते] - KaThOpanishad BhAshya - 2.3.10

Through shravaNa and manana, there is removal of pramANa-gata-asambhAvanA and prameya-gata-asambhAvanA respectively. However, the defect of non-concentration of buddhi is also an obstacle. To remove that, yOga must be practised. This taught.

[श्रवणमननाभ्यां प्रमाणप्रमेयासम्भावनानिरासेऽपि चित्तस्यानेकाग्रतादोषः प्रतिबन्धकः सम्भवति तदपनयाय योगोऽनुष्ठातव्य उपदिश्यत इत्यर्थः ।] - Anandagiri TIkA - 2.3.10

Takeaway

1. Immortality is attained by understanding the my Self as Brahman. [तमात्मानं ब्रह्म एतत् ये विदुः अमृताः ते भवन्ति ॥]

2. This understanding emanates by listening to mahAvAkya.

3. Such understanding is in the form of buddhi-vritti which is of the form of "I am Brahman" and is devoid of imagination of objects. [This is akhaNDAkAra-vritti]

4. Manana and ShravaNa are pre-requisite. Only when AtmA is supported/illuminated by them, it can be known (as Brahman). Basically, it means that obstacles to knowing AtmA as Brahman are removed by manana and shravaNa.

5. This akhaNDAkAra-vritti needs to be stable. Otherwise, it will not be effective. For attaining that, yOga is taught which is essentially nididhyAsana.

6. When there is complete absence of activity of buddhi, then the swarUpa-sthiti of AtmA manifests.  एतस्यां ह्यवस्थायाम् अविद्याध्यारोपणवर्जितस्वरूपप्रतिष्ठ आत्मा.

 

7. For us, therefore, with shravaNa and manana, the practise of yOga, wherein buddhi is devoid of all activity, is necessary.

Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.

[Krishna Kashyap]

Namaste Sudhamshu Ji,

Thank you for this very helpful explanation. I have spent many hours studying Shankara Bhashya on the Gita in particular, yet I had not previously noticed the subtle details you have highlighted here.

Your clarification is very important for addressing the widely held view that Brahman is never an object of cognition, only the subject. The way this point has been explained here adds important nuance and depth.

I truly appreciate your insight.

Best Regards,

Krishna Kashyap

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[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste Krishna ji.

Your clarification is very important for addressing the widely held view that Brahman is never an object of cognition, only the subject. The way this point has been explained here adds important nuance and depth.

What exactly is the conclusion as per you?

Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.