Parama Puruśa is the only goal of human life. Sádhakas who realize this truth and channelize all their thoughts and longings towards Parama Brahma are bound to be blessed with devotional sentiment, and will finally reach the high stage of devotion. According to the degree of devotion aroused due to practice of Iishvara prańidhána or dhyána sádhakas attain different kinds of samádhi. Some devotees believe the highest goal of spiritual life is to become one with Parama Puruśa, because they think that as long as they have their physical existence, they will have to save their individual minds and sensory organs. At this stage if the unit mind runs towards the crude pleasures of life, misguided by the extroversial indriyas, then the unit being will surely degenerate. But there are many sádhakas who prefer to remain close to Parama Puruśa and experience cosmic bliss (Brahmánanda) instead of merging with Him. They say, [[“Ciinii hate cái ná re man, Ciini khete bhálo bási” – “I do not wish to be sugar, I wish to taste sugar.”]]

In Vaeśńava philosophy, this bháva is called gopiibháva or vrajabháva. The attraction out of special love is called rágánugábhakti. Unlike jiṋánamishrá bhakti, rágánúgá bhakti is devotion of vanity, of occult power and knowledge, and unlike vaedhiki bhakti, this kind of devotion has no ostentatious display. The type of samádhi which the sádhakas of rágánugá bhakti attain in the process of ideation on their goal is known as rágánugá samádhi.

During the state of rágánugá samádhi sádhakas usually sit silently in meditation. They take deep breaths and during each breath make a violent “hunkar” sound. In rágánugá samádhi the unit mind retains its existence and feels blissful owing to the close proximity of Parama Puruśa.

(On May 10th, 1969, at Ranchi Jágrti, a certain sádhaka had the unique experience of rágánugá samádhi. First the sádhaka concentrated his mind on the different cakras in the different parts of the body, and in the process of dhyána on ájiṋá cakra (pituitary plexus), he went into samádhi. During samádhi the above mentioned symptoms were visible).

Rágánuga bhakti leads to rágátmika bhakti in the next stage. “Rágátmikámanusrt́a yásá Rágánugácayate”. Many sádhakas does not want to stop at vrajabháva or gopibháva. They argue that to stop at gopibháva and to decide not to merge in Brahma means to show proper regard for the extroversive and introversive flow of the Cosmic imagination (Saiṋcara and Pratisaiṋcara).

Brahma in His flow of Saiṋcara and Pratisaiṋcara has been leading the entire creation on the path of evolution. Each and every molecule and atom will have to merge itself in Brahma one day. The attainment of salvation of molecule – which is an expression of Saguńa Brahma – means that a certain portion of His infinite saḿskáras (however meagre that portion might be) is exhausted. So is it not proper to make the fullest utilization of the opportunity which Saguńa Brahma, out of His grace, presents to human beings to be established in Parama Brahma? When sádhakas have a strong desire to be established in Parama Brahma and direct all their psychic thoughts and feelings toward Him, there arises a devotion called rágátmika bhakti. When the sádhakas enter into samádhi while ideating on their goal with that devotional sentiment, it is called rágátmiká samádhi.

(On May 10, 1969, at Ranchi jagriti, a sádhaka attained rágátmika samádhi. He sat in dhyánásana and with his mind concentrated on each cakra, and began to do dhyána on the supreme object of ideation. He realized that each of his cakras is being controlled by his Iśt́a. Not only that he felt also that his Iśt́a is perceptibly present in his blood, nerves, indriyas, etc. He began to take deep breaths. After remaining in that state, he started to roll on the ground. In this samádhi there is less physical calmness than in rágánugá).

Each and every object of the universe, whether animate or inanimate, is emanating countless vibrations. The Macrocosmic Mind is the controller of these vibrations. In the case of living beings, the Cosmic Mind controls everything directly, and in the case of non-living entities, the individual manifestations of the Macrocosm control everything. The wind blows, the water flows, the stone rolls, and the leaves flutter – each of these inanimate objects has a unit mind, but a dormant one. They cannot create vibrations by themselves; the Cosmic Mind creates vibrations for them. In the case of living beings, although the controller is the unit mind, the unit mind is actually the limited expression of the Cosmic Mind, and thus they are bound to follow the dictates of the Cosmic Mind.

The purpose of the spiritual practice of a sádhaka is to transform the unit mind into Cosmic Mind. The mind of a non-sádhaka is guided by extroversial propensities. As the sádhaka’s goal is Parama Puruśa he or she will have to invariably direct the mind towards Parama Puruśa. When the unit mind merges its limited identity into the vast cosmic entity, we call it “self surrender”.

As a result of surrender the smaller “I” of the unit mind is guided by the bigger “I”. The feelings of mundane pleasure which are produced in the nerve cells and fibres are controlled by the small “I”. But the spiritual vibrations produced in the human body are created and controlled by the Cosmic Mind. The small “I” is concerned with mundane pleasure whereas the big “I” is concerned with spiritual bliss. The small “I” differs from individual to individual but the big “I” is the same in all. The purpose of sádhaná is to convert the small “I” into the big “I”. Metaphorically speaking, the bigger-I is the moon⁽¹⁾ in the sky which is related to everyone through every generation. Physical vibration is crude whereas mental vibration is very subtle. The difference between mental happiness in connection with physical vibration and spiritual happiness in connection with psychic vibration is clear. The pleasure derived by eating a sweet is physical – to attain it one must go to a sweet shop. But for spiritual happiness, a constant endeavour is required. The mind must be concentrated on the object of meditation – all the psychic thoughts and feelings should be directed to Parama Puruśa. A relationship of deep love must be established with Him so that there remains only one thought in the mind: that there is no other entity other than Parama Puruśa. The type of samádhi that a sádhaka attains with such a devotional sentiment is called bháva samádhi. Sitting in dhyánásana he began to practice dhyána on múládhára cakra. As soon as he connected his mind with the Cosmic Mind he felt the sweet waves of cosmic bliss. Then he took his mind to deeper realms, practicing dhyána in svadhistána and mańipura cakras. At this stage he directed all his psychic energies to Parama Puruśa. Now only one thought was dominant in his mind: “Only Parama Puruśa exists and no other entity.” Then while doing dhyána on anáhata cakra he had a feeling that Parama Puruśa was his own. At this stage the sádhaka remained absorbed in limitless bliss. Waves of bliss constantly flowed through the glands, nerve cell and fibres causing him to remain totally oblivious of the external world).

During samádhi the vibrations created in different parts of a sádhaka’s body are not controlled by the unit mind but by the Cosmic Mind. There is a feeling of indescribable bliss throughout the body which causes the sádhaka to shiver continuously. Bháva samádhi can be experienced in any of the four lower cakras. But as soon as the mind rises above the anáhata cakra a higher samádhi is experienced.

Footnotes

(1) In Indian lullabies the moon is referred to as the maternal uncle of everyone in every generation. –Trans.