Meditation on the Nirguna Brahman results in Parama Ananda

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Srimadbhagavatam Lord Krishna gives a detailed account of the various powers, siddhi-s, that a person focussing on one or the other aspect of the Lord, Brahman.  There the Lord says:

श्रीमद्भागवतपुराणम्/स्कन्धः ११/अध्यायः १५

https://sa.wikisource.org/s/ikh

निर्गुणे ब्रह्मणि मयि धारयन्विशदं मनः।
परमानन्दमाप्नोति यत्र कामोऽवसीयते १७।

One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.

Vamshidhara in the commentary says: nirguna brahman = nirvishesha brahman (attributeless).  

The Taittiriya Upanishad says: 

ब्रह्मविदाप्नोति परम् । तदेषाभ्युक्ता । सत्यं ज्ञानमनन्तं ब्रह्म । यो वेद निहितं गुहायां परमे व्योमन् । सोऽश्नुते सर्वान् कामान् सह । ब्रह्मणा विपश्चितेति ।

The knower of Brahman, the Jnanin, attains to the Supreme.  He experiences all the joys in one go and not in bits and pieces like samsarin-s experience.  There is the Brihadaranyaka 4.3.32 passage:

सलिल एको द्रष्टाद्वैतो भवत्येष ब्रह्मलोकः सम्राडिति हैनमनुशशास याज्ञवल्क्य एषास्य परमा गतिरेषास्य परमा सम्पदेषोऽस्य परमो लोक एषोऽस्य परम आनन्द एतस्यैवानन्दस्यान्यानि भूतानि मात्रामुपजीवन्ति ॥ ३२ ॥

 "In deep sleep it becomes transparent like water, the witness,  one and without a second. This is the World of Brahman, Your  Majesty. This is its supreme attainment, this is its supreme  glory, this it its highest world, this is its supreme bliss. On a particle of this bliss other creatures live."  Thus did Yajnavalkya teach Janaka. 

This Ananda is realized to be his true nature by the one who meditates on the Nirguna Brahman.   

Here are some instances of the term Nirguna and its purport in the Bhagavatam:

https://guruandnamakirtan.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/one-who-takes-refuge-in-me-and-remains-egoless-is-verily-nirgunam-the-shraddha-in-worshipping-me-is-verily-nirgunam-the-food-that-is-of/

हरिर् हि निर्गुणः साक्षात् पुरुषः प्रकृतेः परः (Srimad Bhagavatam 10:88:5)

स सर्व-दृग् उपद्रष्टा तं भजन् निर्गुणो भवेत् (Srimad Bhagavatam 10:88:5)

मां भजन्ति गुणाः सर्वे निर्गुणं निरपेक्षकम् (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:13:40)

निर्गुणे ब्रह्मणि मयि धारयन् विशदं मनः(Srimad Bhagavatam 11:15:17)

यान्ति माम् एव निर्गुणाः (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:22)

मन्-निष्ठं निर्गुणं स्मृतम् (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:24)

मन्-निकेतं तु निर्गुणम् (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:25)

निर्गुणो मद्-अपाश्रयः(Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:26)

मत्-सेवायां तु निर्गुणा (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:27)

चशब्दान्मन्नीवेदितं निर्गुणमित्यभिप्रेतम् (Sridhara Swami’s Bhavaratha Deepika 11:25:28)

निर्गुणं मद्-अपाश्रयम् (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:29)

गुण-सङ्गं विनिर्धूय मां भजन्तु विचक्षणाः (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:33)

निःसङ्गो मां भजेद् विद्वान् अप्रमत्तो जितेन्द्रियः (Srimad Bhagavatam 11:25:34)

Om Tat Sat

 

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Nov 11, 2024 at 10:27 PM Krishna Kashyap <kkashy...@gmail.com> wrote:

Nirguna Brahman cannot be an object of meditation anywhere in shankarabhashya. Hence it is not an upasya vastu or even dhyeya vastu. An attributeless Brahman cannot be meditated upon. One can say lower capability people can meditate only on Saguna Brahman but higher capability folks can. In that case, it does not become upasana. It becomes a denial of all that is not self.  In Bhagavatham these aspects are not explained in the original verses. They vaguely state meditation on nirguna-brahman.

While it is true that Brahman/Atman is not a subject matter for upAsana in the common sense of meditation, yet the word 'upAseeta' in certain contexts means nididhyasanam on Brahman. Here is an example:   ‘आत्मेत्येवोपासीत’ (बृ. उ. १ । ४ । ७)  Atman alone is to be realized.  There is the 9th chapter of the Panchadashi named 'dhyAna deepaH' where the dhyana/upasana/meditation of Brahman is taught elaborately culminating in aparoksha jnanam.  

warm regards

subbu

In certain places, Shankaracharya uses the term "sarva samsara dharma varjitam" for Brahman, which does not negate all gunas; however, only those are samsara dharmas. Then one can ask how to understand the advaitic view of satyam, jnanam anantam in negative terms such as asat-vyavritti, achetanat-vyavritti or ajnanat vyavritti, other than that which is limited. This is because, Brahman has no samsara gunas such as limitedness, non-sentience, and non-existence. By the way, one meaning of existence is immutability as per Advaita, not mithya. If you understand it this way, Advaitic writers are stating that Brahman cannot be known as it is not an object but a subject only. Hence all denotations have to denote only upadhis and not Brahma svarupa. If you understand it this way, there is no real difference between Advaita and other Vedantic traditions.

Here and there in Shankara bhashya you see terms like (sarva dharma varjitam) or sentences that deny any gunas. 

If you read how in Shankara-gita-bhashya, over later chapters (say last 6), you see the development of bhakti to saguna brahman, and realization of Brahman as only sakshi, and then finally triputi laya of fusion of jnata-jnana-jneya occur. In fact, without Brahman's grace, the triputi-laya does not happen. see this carefully hidden in the final chapters of Gita. I am not remembering exactly the verses. I can find it later.

Best Regards,

Krishna Kashyap

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste.

//Nirguna Brahman cannot be an object of meditation anywhere in shankarabhashya. Hence it is not an upasya vastu or even dhyeya vastu. An attributeless Brahman cannot be meditated upon.//

If the object of meditation is not an anAtma-vastu, then that can be referred as meditation of nirguNa Brahman. So, it is not that the attributeless-Brahman is made an object of meditation. However, the fact that the object of meditation is not a saguNa-vastu can be said to be equivalent of "meditation on nirguNa-Brahman".

That is what is referred to as AtmAkAra-vritti. केचित्तु पण्डितंमन्याः ‘निराकारत्वात् आत्मवस्तु न उपैति बुद्धिः । अतः दुःसाध्या सम्यग्ज्ञाननिष्ठा’ इत्याहुः। सत्यम् ; एवं गुरुसम्प्रदायरहितानाम् अश्रुतवेदान्तानाम् अत्यन्तबहिर्विषयासक्तबुद्धीनां सम्यक्प्रमाणेषु अकृतश्रमाणाम् । ......... तस्मात् बाह्याकारभेदबुद्धिनिवृत्तिरेव आत्मस्वरूपावलम्बनकारणम् । - GItA bhAshya 18.50.

Thus, "buddhi not having anAtma-vastu as the object" is equivalent to "nirguNa Brahman as the object of meditation". So, the effort in meditation is not to have nirguNa Brahman as the object, but to merely renounce thoughts (as they are always anAtma-vastu-vishayaka).

//One can say lower capability people can meditate only on Saguna Brahman but higher capability folks can. In that case, it does not become upasana. It becomes a denial of all that is not self.  In Bhagavatham these aspects are not explained in the original verses. They vaguely state meditation on nirguna-brahman.//

"Denial" of "everything that is non-self" itself comes within the purview of non-self. This denial is also supposed to stop in nididhyAsana. All efforts cease in nididhyAsana.

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste Krishna ji.
Many thanks for raising pin-pointed question. Before responding, I would like to provide some references for nididhyAsana in advaita vedAnta. I will present a brief analysis thereof. And subsequently, I will take up your points. This is for systematic presentation.

Excerpts

1. निदिध्यासनं मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषये स्थिरीभावः - पञ्चपादिका
2. वेदान्तानामेकरसे ब्रह्मणि शक्तितात्पर्यनिश्चयः श्रवणम् । तस्मिन्नेव श्रुत्यनुसारिण्या युक्त्या सम्भावनाधानं मननम् । श्रुते मते च बुद्धेः स्थैर्यं निदिध्यासनम् । - न्याय निर्णय व्याख्या
3. विजातीयदेहादिप्रत्ययरहिताद्वितीयवस्तुसजातीयप्रत्ययप्रवाहो निदिध्यासनम् । - वेदान्तसारः
4. निदिध्यासनं नाम अनादिदुर्वासनया विषयेष्वाकृष्यमाणस्य चित्तस्य विषयेभ्योऽपकृष्य आत्मविषयकस्थैर्यानुकूलो मानसो व्यापारः । - वेदान्तपरिभाषा
5. निदिध्यासितव्यः निश्चयेन ध्यातव्यः - बृहदारण्यक भाष्य 2.4.5
6. निदिध्यासस्व वाक्यानि अर्थतो निश्चयेन ध्यातुमिच्छेति ॥ - बृहदारण्यक भाष्य 2.4.4
7. बृहदारण्यक वार्तिक सार - page 1543
8. निरन्तरं विचारो यः श्रुतार्थस्य गुरोर्मुखात्।तन्निदिध्यासनं प्रोक्तं तच्चैकाग्र्येण लभ्यते।। - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिकसार 2.4.15
9. अनात्मन्यरुचिश्चित्ते रुचिश्चात्मनि चेद्भवेत्। पुण्यपुपुञ्जेन शुद्धं तच्चित्तमैकाग्र्यमर्हति।।  - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिकसार 2.4.16 (Page 1426)  
10. निदिध्यासनशब्देन सम्यग्ज्ञानं विवक्षितम् ।।उक्तानुवचने तस्य विज्ञानेनेतिनिर्णयात् ।। ८९९ ।। - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 1.4.899
11. अपरायत्तबोधोऽत्र निदिध्यासनमुच्यते ।।पूर्वयोरवधित्वेन तदुपन्यास इष्यते ।। २१७ ।। -  बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.4.217
12. ध्यानाशङ्कानिवृत्त्यर्थं विज्ञानेनेति भण्यते ।।निदिध्यासनशब्देन ध्यानमाशङ्क्यते यतः ।। २३३ ।। - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.4.233
13. श्रुत आगमतो योऽर्थस्तर्केणापि समर्थितः ।।स एवार्थस्तु निष्णातो निदिध्यासनमुच्यते ।। १५ ।।- बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.5.15
14. शास्त्राचार्यानुभवनैर्हेतुभिश्च समर्थितः ।।ईदृगैकात्म्यसंबोधो निदिध्यासनमुच्यते ।। १६ ।।- बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.5.16

An analysis:

The word "NididhyAsana" can be used in two senses. One, in the sense of samyak-jnAna (10-14) and second, in the sense of dhyAna (1-9) i.e. in the sense of “तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्”.

The often-considered meaning of nididhyAsana is in the sense of dhyAna. The meaning of nididhyAsana as samyak-jnAna is rarely used. But that also is a valid usage. 

Now, dhyAna merely requires प्रत्ययैकतानता. It is not concerned with the vishaya of pratyaya.

However, nididhyAsana is a special type of dhyAna. It accepts the ekatAnatA of only that pratyaya which is मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषयक. Now, मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषय is शुद्ध-निरुपाधिक-ब्रह्म. To have प्रत्ययैकतानता in respect of शुद्ध-निरुपाधिक-ब्रह्म means to have no pratyaya with anAtmA as the vishaya. That is what is meant by मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषये स्थिरीभावः or श्रुते मते च बुद्धेः स्थैर्यम् or आत्मविषयकस्थैर्यानुकूलो मानसो व्यापारः. This is what is AtmAkArA-vritti or akhanDAkArA-vritti.

Thus, nididhyAsana basically means to have no thoughts related to non-self.

Your points

//so nidhidhyasana is not someone does something. it is the cessation of all thoughts. is that right?//

Yes. It is the cessation of all thoughts related to anAtmA. It is not “doing” something, rather it is “not doing” anything.

//self-efforts do not attain this state.//

There is absence of effort. There is no grinding-of-teeth in nididhyAsana. It is complete relaxation which is coupled with the understanding “seen is illusory”. So, there is no self-effort. There is, on the contrary, no effort. It is effortless-being.

//However, only if someone denies all thoughts whatever these thoughts may be (since all thoughts are anatma in nature), then nidhidhyasana state comes as a result which is a thought-less state //

Yes. There is no attention to thought just as there is no longer any attention to the mirage when one understands that it is just a mirage.

//is this thoughtless state attained due to some or no blessing?//

When we understand “seen is illusory”, we understand “causation is illusory”. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest discovery one can have. Appreciation of the illusoriness of causation means ending of why, how, when. “There is no causation” means a “why/how/when” is impossible to be asked. Only when one seeks to know the cause, these why/how/when are possible.

So, I understand “causation is illusory” -- and -- nididhyAsana is seen to appear. I don’t ask why/how/when. I don’t say that this knowledge - "seen is illusory" - has caused nididhyAsana. I don’t say that blessing has caused nididhyAsana.

Nor do I investigate the how/why of nididhyAsana.  

//If it is no blessing how does it occur as soon as someone can deny all thoughts? I still don't understand what it means to deny all thoughts!//

So, one sits in meditation and sees that thought related to his office has appeared. He pays no attention thereto knowing that it is illusory. Denial of thought refers to ignoring thought, paying no attention thereto. Also, one is not asked to pay attention to some other thing. Merely paying no attention to thought is sufficient.

Whether it is coupled with blessing or not is not pertinent. Blessing is also seen, and is hence illusory. So, even if it is present, it is to be paid no attention.

//Is it like neti neti, where all thoughts are assigned a tag "atman is not this one" atman is not this one" to every thought that may arise naturally due to prior vasanas? if so, does it mean that the mind moves away from all thoughts and naturally this state of "nidhidhyasana" occurs by itself somehow.//

It is neti, neti only in action. And there is no grinding-of-teeth and effort here. Whatever is seen, is illusory. I am not inclined to know Atman here. I am situating as Atman.

Thoughts arise, and they are paid no attention whatsoever. And they are seen to evaporate.

This, in my humble understanding, is the description of nididhyAsana. There is effortlessness. There is complete relaxation. 

Regards.

Sudhanshu Shekhar.

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste Raghav ji.

Amazing. Very nice. Indeed Gita chapter 6 verses, especially यतो यतो निश्चरति.. is saying the same. Jeevanmukti Viveka reference is also to the point. Thanks.

Regards.

[Ananta Chaitanya [Sarasvati]]

Namaste Krishna ji,

On Wed, Nov 13, 2024, 11:36 PM Krishna Kashyap via Advaita-l <adva...@lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:

Nirguna Brahman cannot be an object of meditation anywhere in
shankarabhashya. Hence it is not an upasya vastu or even dhyeya vastu. An

attributeless Brahman cannot be meditated upon. One can say lower

capability people can meditate only on Saguna Brahman but higher capability
folks can. In that case, it does not become upasana. It becomes a denial of
all that is not self.  

Bhagavan Panchadashikara (SP) considers this as a pUrvapakSha(PP) and says that if nirguNopAsana is impossible then nirguNajnAna will also become impossible with the same reasoning raised by pUrvapakShI and vice-versa. jnA dhAtu is also sakarmaka taking an object of knowledge, just like one misunderstands that upAsana is necessarily sakarmaka taking object of meditation. Everything that is possible with jnAna as answered by PP is also shown possible by SP in upAsana, ahaMgrahopasana to be specific, except that the latter doesn't result in mokSha directly. It may lead to kramamukti or take away pratibandha to advaitajnAna, thereby shravaNa fructifying. 

Pls check the following Pachandashi 9th chapter verses and more that follow in this context:

अत्यन्तबुद्धिमान्द्याद्वा सामग्र्या वाप्यसम्भवात् ।

यो विचारं न लभते ब्रह्मोपासीत सोऽनिशम् ॥ ५४॥

निर्गुणब्रह्मतत्त्वस्य न ह्युपास्तेरसम्भवः ।

सगुणब्रह्मणीवात्र प्रत्ययावृत्तिसम्भवात् ॥ ५५॥

अवाङ्मनसगम्यं तन्नोपास्यमिति चेत्तदा ।

अवाङ्मनसगम्यस्य वेदनं च न सम्भवेत् ॥ ५६॥

वागाद्यगोचराकारमित्येवं यदि वेत्त्यसौ ।

वागाद्यगोचराकारमित्युपासित नो कुतः ॥ ५७॥

सगुणत्वमुपास्यत्वाद्यदि वेद्यत्वतोऽपि तत् ।

वेद्यं चेल्लक्षणावृत्त्या लक्षितं समुपास्यताम् ॥ ५८॥

ब्रह्म विद्धि तदेव त्वं नत्विदं यदुपासते ।

इति श्रुतेरुपास्यत्वं निषिद्धं ब्रह्मणो यदि ॥ ५९॥

विदितादन्यदेवेति श्रुतेर्वेद्यत्वमस्य न ।

यथा श्रुत्यैव वेद्यं तत्तथा श्रुत्याप्युपास्यताम् ॥ ६०॥

अवास्तवी वेद्यता चेदुपास्यत्वं तथा न किम् ।

वृत्तिव्याप्तिर्वेद्यता चेदुपास्यत्वेऽपि तत्समम् ॥ ६१॥

का ते भक्तिरुपास्तौ चेत्कस्ते द्वेषस्तदीरय ।

मानाभावो न वाच्योऽस्यां बहुश्रुतिषु दर्शनात् ॥ ६२॥

उत्तरस्मिंस्तापनीये शैब्यप्रश्नेऽथ काठके ।

माण्डुक्यादौ च सर्वत्र निर्गुणोपास्तिरीरिता ॥ ६३॥

gurupAdukAbhyAm,

--Ananta Chaitanya

/* येनेदं सर्वं विजानाति, तं केन विजानीयात्। Through what should one know That, owing to which all this is known! [Br.Up. 4.5.15] */