Formless Is Difficult
This text was machine-transcribed from the printed book and may contain errors. Select the words and choose “Report a mistake”.
Authored by
THE SPH NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM
क्लेशोऽधिकतरस्तेषामव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाम् ।
अव्यक्ता हि गतिर्दुःखं देहवद्भिरवाप्यते
॥ १२-५॥
kleśo’dhikatarasteṣām avyaktāsakta-
cetasām I avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ
dehavadbhir avāpyate
For those whose minds are set on
the unmanifest, the formless, it is
more difficult to advance; attaining
the formless unmanifest is difficult
for the embodied.
POWERFUL COGNITION
If you are able to make anything negative into positive, the moment it enters into your life, you are Śiva—Causeless Auspiciousness.
INTRODUCTION
For those whose minds are set on the
unmanifest, the formless, it is more
difficult to advance; attaining the
formless unmanifest is difficult for the
embodied. Kṛṣṇa says here what many
of us know to be true. He says,
intellectuals find it more difficult to
comprehend the Divine.
Once, Brahma and Viṣṇu had a conflict as to who was greater.
For any conflict, two egos are required. When anybody, who is in space, time and form, forgets to take responsibility for other's irresponsibility, there will be conflict. Now, the Universe is at stake! So Śiva, the one who is responsible for everything, enters the realm of space and time as Aruṇācaleśvara, as jyotisthambha, an infinite shaft of light that spans the Universe. Śiva said to them, 'The one who finds either of my two ends is greater.'
Viṣṇu assuming the form of a boar, dug through the earth searching for the lower end of the light shaft. Brahma flew up as a swan to reach the upper end. After a very long time, Viṣṇu realized the futility in trying to find Śiva's beginning and returned. He restored his authenticity by completing with Śiva, for attempting to look for His unmanifest beginning. Brahma continued regardless.
On his way up, he found a flower floating down, who said that it was falling from Śiva's head for many lifetimes of Brahma. Startled, Brahma realized there was no way he would reach the end of the shaft, and forced the flower to support his claim that he, Brahma, had picked the flower from Śiva's locks.
Hearing Brahma's lie, his lack of integrity, Śiva became furious and taking the form of destruction, Rudra, cut off one of Brahma's heads and forbade him from being worshipped. There is metaphoric meaning to this happening. Viṣṇu represents wealth or sthiti (sustenance) and Brahma represents intellect or sṛiṣṭi (creation). Sṛiṣṭi and sthiti think that they are the ultimate until samhāra, destruction enters their life. Only then, do they realize that they are not the ultimate!
That is why Mahādeva has to
happen in their life in the form
of Rudra, destruction. Mahādeva
appears to Brahma and Viṣṇu to
expose their inauthenticity to
them, and makes them
responsible for their
inauthenticity and others'
inauthenticity.
In one’s search for the truth, the
Divine, the unmanifest, avyakta,
which is what the intellectual
seeker is focusing on, the
intellect, the mind or ego will
be the block that makes the
path difficult to traverse. The
individual carries not only the
body but the mind as well. And
with the mind, it carries the
ego. As Kṛṣṇa points out—
avyyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ (12.5).
Unless the mind-body is transcended by the process of completion and surrender, spiritual advancement is difficult.
Shedding the ego and restoring completion is the most difficult thing for the mind-body system. Ego provides the mind-body with its identity with its existence. Till then, Mahādeva, the embodiment of completion and responsibility, has to appear again and again in your life to remind you to take responsibility. Whether now or in Kṛṣṇa's time, the world revolved around the power of thought, the power that seems to provide knowledge and skills. It was essential for one's recognition and status in life.
Dropping the ego and
taking responsibility to
restore authenticity is the
most difficult thing for the
body-mind, especially for
one who is focused on the
intellect. Whenever you
look at any destruction as a
reminder of your
inauthenticity and
irresponsibility, it is no
more a destruction in your
life. You have learnt how to
make anything negative
into something positive, to
strengthen your life. If you
are able to make anything
negative into positive, the
moment it enters into your
life, you are Śiva—
Causeless Auspiciousness.
GOALS:
Impress upon the
students that the
unmanifest formless
form of god can be
experienced by going
beyond the body and
the mind. The mind is
an illusion and the ego
blocks our ultimate
truth from us. Once the
mind and the ego is
dropped the formless
form of God is revealed.
ASSESSMENTS
❖ In the message in the story of the jyotisthambha ?
❖ How does the ego block spiritual advancement?
❖ What is greater: the ability
to generate wealth and
sustain oneself and others;
or the ability of creativity
or intelligence?
ART OF THE DAY
ART OF THE DAY:
OUTLINE GANESHA
MATERIALS NEEDED
- Paper
- Pencil, eraser
- Thin brush
- Glue
- Half a teaspoon yellow turmeric powder
- Half a teaspoon red kumkum powder
- Half a teaspoon greyish white bhasma (sacred ash)
PROCEDURE
Draw an outline of your hand on a piece of paper. Now draw the outline of Ganesha, the God of auspicious beginnings in the inside of the outline of the hand. Draw Ganesha's eyes and tusks. Outline the Ganesha, his eyes, tusk and the hand with a black colour pen. With a brush, apply glue inside the tusk and white portion of your Ganesha's eyes.
ART OF THE DAY:
OUTLINE GANESHA
PROCEDURE
Keep the eyeballs uncovered and
coloured black. Heap a pinch of bhasma
on the two tusks and the eyes of
Ganesha so that the bhasma sticks to the
glued surface. Now dust the page clear
of the excess bhasma. Cover the rest of
the Ganesha with a coat of Kumkum
powder and cover the hand with a coat
of turmeric powder.
INFERENCE
Remembrance of God brings
auspiciousness into our lives.
ACTIVITY OF THE DAY
ACTIVITY OF THE DAY:
PROCEDURE:
Let us try to visualize that God is
the space inside and outside of
everything in the Universe. Imagine
that God is vibrating within every
atom. Try to feel that God is
flowing in the air all around us.
And that all beings and objects are
filled with God and are floating in
God.
Try to imagine that god is within
you constantly witnessing your
every thought, emotion and action.
God is your constant companion in
every moment and has his
unwavering attention, protection
and grace on you at all times.
ACTIVITY OF THE DAY:
PROCEDURE:
How does it feel to know that a
supremely loving and all powerful
presence is within you and
watching over you all the time.
Write down your thoughts and
emotions to internalize this
knowledge.
INFERENCE:
A evolved power of visualization
and intense seeking, is needed to
realize the truth about the
formless, unmanifest, and all
pervading presence of God.
WORKSHOP OF THE DAY
WORKSHOP OF THE DAY:
VAAKYARTHA SADHAS
Topic of discussion is "The mind and all its thoughts are an illusion"
Conclusion: God Realization cannot happen by application of logic. The mind must be transcended to realize one's own divinity.
- BHAGAVAD GITA -
BOOK XII, VOLUME V