Be Empty
The Teachings of Sri Tirtha Lal Mahanandhar
This page: The Real Man Letter 5 Stages of realisation Letter 6 Letter 7 What is yoga? Letter 8 Samadhi Letter 9 What is salvation and how?
The seven stages of knowledge Letter 10 What is society? How far is God? Mind cannot exist without an object Effect/affect
The Teachings of Sri Tirtha Lal Mahanandhar
Part Two
(Note: from this point on, nearly all words are directly those of TL with minor editing of spelling etc.)
The Real Man
The real man is he who takes his stand on the real, not on the superficial.
The path of the solid man will be straight and smooth, but the ornamental people love zick-zack, rough way.
If Truth will have its own end, no creation will have existence.
One can redeem the idea of 'my existence', ie. the existence of ego, through pure devotion with complete surrender unto one's Supreme. By the grace of the Lord, one's intellect will really be to the point where Truth is revealed.
Letter 5:
"Whosoever wants to stand on your way, keep him aside, and always keep your way clear. You know, what to talk of external when lots of internal problems one has to face boldly. Keeping all aside and controlling your mind with the help of complete surrender and heartful devotional practice, you will be proceeding further. Thus the day will come when you will realise Truth.
Now - don't forget to protect plant with the fence - patience and detachment. The reaction of the mind you will have to face until you are in a position to control. Never turn your face from your day to day practice, the real food of your life. Practice is your real friend and everything for you in this dreamland.
Stages of realisation
- an illustration by TL -
Letter 6:
"Progress is the sign of happiness. Light comes when all sides darkness covers, for which correct effort is essential. If you want to see the cigarette exhausting, you have to puff. The more you push water behind you, the boat will move ahead.
Your calculation will never be wrong if you will do it correctly from the very beginning, for which practice is essential. Audience will be attracted with the magic of the magician, but not his servant, because he knows each and every trick of his master, by His mercy. Continuously go on putting water in a certain place and one day that will definitely turn into a lake. If you want to see a plant in the form of a tree, protect from all angles and wait (the time factor) till it is. Have patience. Go on performing your prescribed practice. In time you will see the fruit. As the tree bears the fruit until it is fully ripe, which, when fully matured, will be separated from the tree; similarly, the day when practice will be matured, one will realise Self and remain detached from MAYA (illusion) for ever".
"Concentrate your mind to one point as a spinning top. As the top stands on one point, spinning motionlessly,
the mind should be motionless, concentrating on the One, while outwardly it is moving".
Letter 7:
May 14, 1972
Dear Mishra,
Received your message through Michel after six months. Thanks for your remembrance. You know what we want - simplicity is the only charm of life. The real tone for the surrealist is surrender alone. Try your best and survive for this only - because this is our life in reality. If you are at this point, it does not make any difference whether you are here or any part of the world. He who does his duty without expecting the fruit of actions is a real YOGI. You know it well that none becomes a YOGI who has not given up thoughts of the world. Absence of all thoughts of the world is said to be the blessed one.
Practising YOGA with absolute dependence on DEITY through exclusive love, you will know the repository of all power, the Universal Soul, without any shadow of doubt. This is my word to you from first up to the last, til you seek my service.
Rest by next. OK. I am always with you.
Thy own ATMAN, True Love.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is not a particular religion or the knowledge of some of the religious subjects, but it is actively engaged in the service of all religions in the universe, and helps to illumine the inner light. So the literal meaning of Yoga is to join one with the other, or the union of two (subject and object).
The real meaning of yoga - the means through which Self is realised in the yogic sense - is the process of merging Jivatman (individual soul) in Paramatman (the Supreme Soul).
Letter 8:
"Time (lifetime) is very short, but the task - vast. Doubts will have end when one will have true life. Then only he is successful because he has realised himself - he is out from the dream for ever.
The glory of the man is eternal which is within himself. He is what he is not now.
Name, fame, all like this - attachment is the greatest enemy for the practitioner. Do what one has to do in time without delay.
While performing such pious duty one must not wait and say that let me do this and that and then only I will move for the right. You know time and tide has never waited for creatures. One must know the value of time and utilize properly. He who cannot has to suffer".
Samadhi
One cannot realise God without entering SAMADHI. This is possible only when one's mind is completely free from delusion. The whole creation dissolves when one unites with the Supreme fully.
At the time of SAMADHI, mind gets attachment with no other objects of the world except union with the Supreme. The Jiva-Atman and Para-Atman will have no difference at all at this stage.
In other words, the knowledge of the oneness of JIVA (individual soul) and PARAMATMAN (Supreme Soul) is SAMADHI.
To forget all sorts of mental activities completely, with the help of the yoga of mind in God, is SAMADHI - as the wave dissolves in the ocean.
Letter 9:
"Holy company will make one spiritually inclined. Unholy just vice versa to this.
Therefore take care to select only pure within the activities of your day to day life, because your Deity is purest pure, and you must be pure to have His full blessing. Valuable you are when you will have value for your Deity. Have stamina, patience and full faith unto your Deity. Fixing all the time at your own point.
One who stays in a dark room, if one stays there for a certain period, one will begin to see things there, although they were not visible when one first entered. Likewise, although nothing may be visible to you at the moment with your practice, but be sure everything will be visible one day".
What is salvation, and how?
To get rid of the chain of the cycle of birth and death for ever, is salvation.
There are two useful means for salvation - 1. SANKHYAYOGA (or Jnana/Gyana Yoga) and 2. KARMAYOGA. Both the path of knowledge (Sankhyayoga) and the path of action (Karmayoga) lead to supreme bliss.
For the person who has a keen interest to be free - to him YOGA explains the shortest route. This is the main action and purpose of YOGA.
The task which takes thousands of years together for a common man - this will be possible within this present lifetime for him who accepts YOGA.
He who knows the art of YOGA thoroughly, for him nothing is impossible in this universe. Therefore the knowledge of YOGA is known to be the end of all knowledge.
This knowledge is classified into seven stages by which it will be easy to understand the ins and outs of the qualified seers and the true knowledge.
The value of seven is high in this world, eg. in astrology, Auroveda and the field of music etc.. The elements of the earth are seven and the sub-elements, seven also. Likewise in the body of man the layers of the skin are also seven.
Fire is also divided into seven forms, the days of the week are seven and education is divided into seven. As all these aspects of ignorance are classified into seven, so are the stages of knowledge, as outlined below:
2. VICHARANA (Pure thought) – The introverted aspirant, approaching the guru, hears him thoroughly with intuition - the function of the mind
which is fit to hear and grasp the philosophy told by the guru - such stage of mind is known as Vicharana.
3. TANUMANASA (Power of understanding finer objects) – Including NIDIDHYASAN (practice of meditation) and UPASANA (worship): this
offers concentration of mind. With such a mind one achieves the ability to grasp the finer objects, which is known as TANUMANASA.
The aforesaid three stages are known as the conscious stage, because in this stage one can distinguish clearly the difference between JIVA and
BRAHMA. One who is in this stage is known as a practitioner, because he is not yet capable of seeing the Supreme.
He who is in any of these three stages is fit for knowledge (Jnana/Gyana), but never for (Karma) action.
4. SATTWAPATTI (Realisation of truth) – He who reaches to this stage understands clearly that the creation is illusory and Supreme alone is
real. The doubt he was having before reaching this stage vanishes from him forever. This is the perfect stage - and one can call this the Dream
Stage also, because the seer of this stage still has the feeling of the world, and that is why he is with all the activities of his mind and body.
Even then, the difference between him and people of the other three stages is this much - that the common jiva looks at this creation, through
MAYA, as being real. Whereas he who is in this stage of realisation behaves towards this creation as being an unreal dream, because he has
revealed the illusion of Maya.
5. ASAMSHAKTI (Unconscious of the world for a certain period) - SAMADHI is divided into two: 1. SABIKALPA – in which the aspirant will
be aware of the dreamworld more than in 2. NIRBIKALPA – in which stage he will have less identity with the world. This Samadhi is known as
Asamshakti. In this stage the aspirant feels nearer to the Supreme than in the previous stage of Sattwapatti. Here he remains mostly
unconscious of the worldly activities in his day-to-day life, but in time his physical body starts working just like an automaton. Thus he works
for the protection of body and supports the aspirants, replying correctly to their questions.
6. PADARTHAVAWANI (Unawareness of the world for a longer period) – This stage is only possible to the aspirant when he will be fully-
fledged in the practice of Asamshakti. In this Padarthavawani one remains unidentified with the world for a period of a pretty long gap,
whereas in Asamshakti one remains detached from the world for short intervals. The more one is diverted from the world, one is nearer and
nearer to the Supreme with the help of such practice. On the other hand, the saint of this stage does not do any action automatically through
his body, but he acts sometimes when other people insist that he do so. Otherwise he is insouciant to the world. He is nearer to God.
7. TURYAGA – TURIYA (Unaware about the creation forever) – He is the real (sage) Yogi in reality who is drawn into the bliss of the ocean of
Supreme Samadhi and merged within ThySelf, the PureSelf. He remains one forever, omnipotent and omnipresent. This last stage of all the
religious aspirants is called Turyaga or Turiya. This is the end of the philosophy, dogma and doctrine of all the religions in this universe. This is
how the aspirant develops from fourth stage to this seventh or last stage of enlightenment.
In the scriptures it is said there is no difference between him and Thee Supreme. This is the end. Om.
As the person of complete ignorance has no idea or knowledge of the Supreme, so this one has no idea or knowledge whatsoever of the
existence of any separate entity such as the world, creation etc. or anything other than the Supreme for ever. - Ed
Letter 10:
"Happiness is simply the opposite of sorrow - as the coin has two sides, so are most of us hopelessly oscillating. Don't be content with happiness. If happy, think positively how nice it will be to some in contact with the Supreme. If sad, isolate yourself and think hard or weep for the Supreme. Weep at all times for the Lord. If and when we can weep for the Lord, we will see our ego will be melted. One cannot weep until he is pure. So while mind is at gross level of thinking, always think of the Lord. As our love develops (and with that His blessing) we will come to the point of weeping.
Mind moves in a limited circle at gross level. If we find ourselves in this hopeless state of mind, refuse to be lowered to such a level and think of Lord. With this one's will shall develop and strong will helps to destroy ego. If we are happy with worldly thoughts, ego is developing. If happy with divine thoughts, ego is melting.
Mind control: When mind is of SATTWA one will have only divine thoughts. It's when RAJAS and TAMAS are present we are disturbed. At those times, if we are ready to do something - stop, for one minute or an hour, depending on how long it takes for that desire to sink. Then proceed thinking of Lord. In this way Will (+ SATTWA) can develop. Do not follow the mind. Observe it. Disassociate it from your Real Self. Create opposite feeling to that which it desires - or if identified, bow to the Lord!"
Editor's note: Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas are the three 'gunas' - qualities or moods of nature that pervade the universe. Sattwa denotes wisdom, harmony and seeing correctly how things really are. Rajas is the restless thirst for action and passion, while Tamas refers to a state of inertia, dullness and seeing things perversely or opposite from how they really are - right to be wrong, good to be bad etc. - and vice versa.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says:
"There is no existence here on earth, in the heavens or among the celestials or anywhere else in creation, which is free from these three qualities born of Matter".
Krishna also points out, however, that all three gunas - even Sattwa - tie the jiva or soul to the body and individual (egotistic) existence. Sattwa, although fostering spiritual development, binds through self-identification with happiness and wisdom, Rajas through attachment to actions and their fruits and Tamas through error, sloth and sleep. Thus it is said that chains of gold are no less strong to bind, and final liberation only attained when all three are transcended.
The function of the mind which moves in different aspects of the world to achieve collectively or individually the desired and aimed for objects - from that, when a group of people join together with the same mental attitude, is formed 'society'.
This may be divided into two classes: 1. Worldly society and 2. Spiritual society.
The mind that moves for the worldly objects along with a group of people who are under the clutch of MAYA is classified as worldly society, finding which one is never satisfied and remains in the dark for ever.
The mind of a group that moves in search of the Truth which is beyond MAYA, and on finding such a reality, one is immortal forever - a group of such people is classified as spiritual society.
If one has evil society, the mind will be polluted with the desires of the world and will remain under the clutch of evil deeds. Such a mind will go into the swampy ditches and prairies of desire.
On the other hand, if the mind will join with good company, having the desire to know the Self which is ever pure, this society will definitely lead one to immortality.
He who possesses patience, kindness, non-enmity, friendliness to all creatures, grave in nature, having good conduct and following the seers and the scriptures - such are the qualities of the pure man. Trouble can never touch such a mind that is always full of devotion to the Supreme, and he who is prepared to sacrifice his friends, relatives and well-wishers, family and all, for the sake of the pure Self, and who hears and explains in detail the hymns and stories of the Deity with love.
Such a person who possesses the aforesaid qualities is the real saint. The aspirant and the society which will be guided by such seers shall have liberation, without doubt.
By seeing such a personality, the mind or group will enjoy the real taste of My story. In this way, mind will develop faith in God, pure love, and then culminate in devotion. This devotion will help to develop detachment from the world. Detachment will lead the mind towards spiritual improvement. Thus he walks on the path of YOGA whereby the mind passes through concentration - SAMADHI, and finally reaches the supreme goal of life.
How far is God?
He is so near, even you yourself are far from Him.
Looking through binoculars one way, far away things appear very near. Looking the other way, vice versa. A man is, as it were, looking through the wrong end of the binoculars, - everything appears very small and far away. Being told to turn the binoculars around to see correctly, he is unbelieving and afraid to lose the view that he is having, fearing that he will lose all. Indeed, while turning them around, he can see nothing until he puts the other end to his eyes - whereupon everything is large and clear.
Mind cannot exist without an object
Mind cannot exist without an object. Objects are the real food of the mind. Therefore, when we keep our mind to the Supreme, it will have no existence, because the Supreme is beyond both subject and object.
Self-realisation is not possible until the mind turns into One Reality. At that time the mind will have no existence but that of the Pure Self. The Truth, which is ever-green, will be realised by the aspirant.
In order to perceive anything, the mind has to be fully concentrated on the object, whatever it may be - a picture, knife, table, music etc. Nothing can be perceived without this full concentration of mind, at least for a fraction of a second. At that moment, the mind is identified completely with the object. In other words, the mind is only that which it perceives - and it is continually changing at great speed.
However, though its form be constantly changing, the mind itself is the same always, and by itself, in its pure state, is formless, omnipresent and omnipotent, fully concentrated. From changeable form arises subject and object - the mind wants to understand itself, and this constitutes ignorance, the barrier which prevents it from being Itself - and that is MAYA. There being only one Self in reality, the mind has super-imposed subject, knowledge and object, thus deluding itself.
After crossing the barrier of ignorance by spiritual practice, the aspirant comes to know what he is. However, even knowing this, the true state has not been reached, for two things are still existing - the knower and that which is known. Crossing this at last, He is what He is - the One. This is self-realisation.
“Buddhi Yoga – whatever you do, whatever you see and feel in this creation is nothing else than your Deity. This thing you must keep in your mind, that your Deity is every action and every thing. One who keeps guru in him like this is doing Buddhi Yoga”.
“Be sure that you are not alone. Behind and within you is something without whom there is no life for the life of this universe. Always keep this in mind and develop your practice as much as possible. He is the real friend among all the friends, and the real enjoyment which all must enjoy - without which there is no enjoyment in reality”.
Destruction of mind is the real foundation of success. This is the only means to root out the pleasure and pain. Mind is the cause of all the causes that misguides and puts all sorts of pain in the world. Till desire is surviving, mind moves with life. Therefore remember, ‘human’ is not this destructible body, but mind itself is the human being. When mind does some action your body moves out, and the mind, when it gives up something, your body acts accordingly. Hence it is clear that mind is the real one, and the doer of all the good and evil action.
In other words we can say that this whole universe is nothing more than a single mind. When mind starts working - it turns into eye when it looks; it turns into ear when it hears; it turns into nose when it smells. It turns into skin when it feels; it turns into tongue when it tastes.
Effect/Affect
He who is fully concentrated in meditation on the Lord will not be shaken by any dreadful action of MAYA, nor will he be affected by any mayic pleasure or pain. He remains inwardly detached from the ‘effection’ of MAYA, and he is a man without ego. He is the real self-realised man, so he is sure that this creation is nothing more than a dream. He never enjoys the world of MAYA through the senses because he is far from the effect of pleasure and pain. For such a universal soul, pious or poison, a fraction of a second or unlimited time, are all alike because he knows it well that the whole of creation is unreal only.
Such realised souls, whether they remain with worldly activities or stay aloof, are always unattached from Maya. Such a one is ever fixed in the Supreme, therefore he never enjoys any objects through his senses except the Supreme, though he may look to be enjoying worldly objects.
‘Effection’ is the cause of Maya. Immortal is always beyond ‘effection’.
What is ‘effection’ then? – The action that produces desire through pleasure and pain is ‘effection’. Action that produces desire for creation and which is effected through pleasure and pain is called ‘effection’.
What is ‘AHAM’ (EGO)? – The feeling which makes you say within the body, “I am”, is AHAM (EGO).
What is ‘MAMATA’ (ATTACHMENT)? – To have relation with worldly objects is MAMATA. But AHAM-TA is the primal cause of MAMATA. When one will try to investigate this AHAM-TA and MAMATA, one will not have (never understand) them correctly, but one will know the Real in Reality - Truth, where, including AHAM-TA and MAMATA, all will show their real nature to be unreal and having no existence.
Thus when one will know Thy Self, one will have true knowledge about this creation and will definitely proclaim the fact that BRAHMA alone is real, and the rest, all are hallucination. Except this, nothing more and no other truth exists.
‘Who am I?” - Put this question within yourself. This will definitely help you reveal the Truth.
“This whole universe can never be BRAHMA (Supreme Reality)”. He who is feeling this through ignorance or delusion – he is within the bondage of MAYA. On the other hand, he who realises this whole creation is nothing except BRAHMA, such a person is BRAHMA alone. This is my conception.
“Unless Lord Krishna applies his fingers to His flute, and blows, no sound will come out. Likewise, unless we do practice daily, no results can be expected. We must be ready to be like a flute suitable for His playing, - only then He will play”.
“The day that you will have full faith, that very moment you will see God, - you will realise Self”.