THE VISION, May 2024, Vol 91, Issue 8:

 

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Beloved Readers,

The Mahavakya, Prajnanam Brahma, found in the Aitareya Upanishad, defines the Infinite Reality as Consciousness. Swami Vivekananda interprets this great statement in terms of evolution. Everything in nature rises from some subtle seed-forms, becomes grosser and grosser and again goes back to the original subtle form. He says, “Where it begins, there it ends. What is the end of this universe? Intelligence, is it not?”

Our Master, Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas, also emphasised that “there is one Consciousness that witnesses all its movements.” Although thoughts emanate from Consciousness, our identification with the thoughts is so deep that it prevents us from recognising the base and basis of our very being. Inward journey reveals that thoughts float in Consciousness, similar to the moving images being projected on a white screen in a cinema hall without affecting it at all. Witnessing the thoughts will lead to a state of stillness, where all bubbling thoughts and surging emotions will subside.

To experience this Witness Consciousness, perhaps the easiest and the most effective way is to take up mental chanting of any Name of God and watch the chanting. The scriptures say that God is with us and has been with us at all times. We can now understand Him in the form of Consciousness.

This month’s issue of THE VISION shares some thoughts on this topic.

— EDITOR

AS WE SCROLL DOWN...

1. ‘The Secret Of Your Life’ — says Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas is to know that when the mind is perfectly still through the power of the Name, you attain a state of Self-Awareness or Witness Consciousness. At first, there may be a struggle, but by constant practice, it is possible to attain this Supreme Consciousness.
2. ‘Words Of Beloved Papa’ — reveal how to attain Witness Consciousness by detaching ourselves from all movements and becoming the observer of them.
3. ‘Witnessing His Lila’ —  is a prayer to the indwelling and all-pervading Reality, whom Pujya Mataji Krishnabai addressed as Beloved Papa. In this prayer she reveals her awareness of being identified with the Universal Being, and hence accepting the entire world-Lila with a sense of detachment and witnessing it without being internally affected by the Lila even though the play goes on at the external level.
4. ‘Be The Unaffected Witness’ — urges Swami Satchidananda, by being aware that everything has its place and the world is exactly as it should be. The player is He. The witness is also He. Hence, this Lila should be watched dispassionately.
   
5. ‘Editor Answers’ — how to experience Witness Consciousness by mentally chanting the Divine Name and hearing the chanting.
6. 'Witness Your Thoughts' — says Eckhart Tolle. When you listen to a thought, you are aware not only of the thought but also of Yourself as the Witness of the thought.
7. 'Witnessing' — thoughts, words and deeds makes us aware of a new beauty manifesting in life. A person of this awakened Consciousness participates and efficiently plays his roles as ordained by his Karmas, but is free from the sense of doership.
8. 'Witness Consciousness' — says Jagjot Singh, remains in a natural state, silently watching all phenomena. It watches every feeling, thought and sensation but there is never a need to change or manipulate anything.
9. 'Words To Inspire' — of Ramesh Balsekar tell us that the world manifestation is a movie scripted by God and He is playing all the characters and he is also witnessing everything that is happening.
10. 'Dear Children' — watch all activities of life dispassionately. 
11. ‘Learning From The School Of Life’ — that the purpose of life can be understood by probing into the very core of our existence and understanding that everything is here to teach us something. 
12. ‘Homage To Luminaries’ — who are ‘awakeners’.
13. ‘Epistles Of Swami Ramdas’ — reveals that the apparent conflict of opposing forces in the world should be viewed as the audience watches a drama unfold on stage.
14. ‘In Memoriam’
15. ‘Anandashram News’:
    • ‘15500-Crore Nama Japa Yagna For World Peace’
    • ‘Sessions With Children In Anand Kutir’
    • ‘93rd Anniversary Of Anandashram’
16. ‘Book In Focus’: ‘Lectures Of Swami Ramdas’ (5 Volumes).
17. ‘Thought For The Month’
18. ‘Download THE VISION’ in PDF format and the Audio Book.

THE SECRET OF YOUR LIFE

By Swami Ramdas

When you chant the Beloved’s Name, your mind gets enchanted by its sweet music and will take up the refrain. The mind is now inebriated with a strange and rare joy. Whenever it wanders, by the repeated infusion of this joy, it becomes immediately steady and placid. It is the waves of lower desires arising in it that cause this disturbance. When the mind is thus perfectly still through the power of the Name, you attain to a state of Self-Awareness or Witness Consciousness. In a subtle way, you are made to transcend the relative nature of your life with which you had identified yourself through ignorance, and come to realise that you are one with a vast, illimitable and eternal Truth or Life.

At first, there is a struggle for achieving the awareness, but by constant practice, you are fixed in this Supreme Consciousness and live and act always in a beatific state. Now the light of the Inner Witness floods every part of your emotional, vital and physical being, and a marvellous transformation takes place in you. Life is Divinised not only in its inner aspect but also in all its outer expression. This sublime goal is reached by stilling the mind which is done by chanting the Name. So, remember God, meditate on Him, surrender your life to Him and achieve the ‘summum bonum’ of your life — God.

WORDS OF BELOVED PAPA SWAMI RAMDAS

When we sit silently, we have to be conscious, in the first place, that the God we seek is in our own heart. Then mentally repeat His Name. Make the mind repeat the Name until all its waves cease and it becomes perfectly still. If it does not easily become still, we have to continue the repetition of the Name mentally with an attitude of self-surrender. We try to develop a witness-consciousness. It is a state of awareness of the immortal and radiant Truth within us. In fact, this awareness itself is God-realisation.

* * *

Be a witness to all movements. Detach yourself from them and become the observer of them; then you will realise that you are the Eternal Witness and the body is not yourself. Identification with the body will go and Witness Consciousness will be attained. Mostly you can practice it when you are in meditation. When you are active and moving about, it is difficult to maintain that consciousness. Many rules have to be observed for control of mind; observance of silence is one of them. Who is observing silence? Let us try to find out. Sit silent, detach yourself from the mind and watch its activities. The Watcher is the real you — the Self Immortal.

WITNESSING HIS LILA

Pujya Mataji Krishnabai’s Prayer

While I was in the state of ignorance that I was the body, its identification with the mind and soul was so complete that, as a consequence, the effect of diseases was felt both: without and within; whereas, after You (God) removed this ignorance with the knowledge that ‘I am the Universal Being, having a perishable body to enjoy eternal bliss, both within and without’, the effect has been only upon the physical body — the Self remaining totally unaffected.

O Papa!* When You blessed me with the vision that I am the entire universe, all diseases are none other than Myself. With such an exalted experience so graciously granted by You, O Papa! I ever remain blissful within and at once am a witness to Myself without, mind calm and serene, bereft of any untoward thoughts whatsoever.

O my Beloved Papa! Wonderful is the Lila that is enacted by You on the world-stage. Verily, O Papa! You are the body, You are the disease. You are the witness thereto. You are the enjoyer of bliss both within and without. You are the bliss itself. You are beyond thought. All is Yourself. All is Yourself. 

(*Pujya Mataji Krishnabai addressed in in-dwelling and all-pervading Reality as Beloved Papa.)

BE THE UNAFFECTED WITNESS 

By Swami Satchidananda

When you look at the world, try to bring to your mind that it is the play of the Lord. Behind the apparent happiness and misery, there is the all-pervading Truth, unaffected by what happens externally. The so-called misery and joy belong to the surface, but deep within, there is the unaffected Witness. Try to bring your mind to accept this truth and train it until it fully accepts and gets used to it. As a wise man has put it: “Nothing is wrong with the world and nothing needs correction. What we have to do is only change our attitude towards it.”

* * *

If you look at the world with a detached view, you will find that everything has its place and the world is exactly as it should be — tragedies are purely on the surface as enacted in a drama and that all the players are only transitory forms of the Divine seated in their hearts. The player is He. The witness is also He. This play should be watched as such, dispassionately.

EDITOR ANSWERS

Question: How to feel and experience Witness Consciousness?

Answer: Consciousness is our original nature. It is always with us. But when we are involved in all activities, the presence is not felt because of our identification with the activity. Right from our young age, to most of us, this dimension of Consciousness has not been made known. The sense of individuality, encased in the body-mind-intellect equipment, is unaware of the Consciousness, which is the base. Due to various ups and downs, when we are prompted to seek answers, we hear about the Source and its expressions, such as Life Force, Consciousness and Primordial Intelligence. As we do not have clarity, all these stay at the conceptual level. Of these three, Consciousness is too subtle and intangible and therefore an altogether different approach is suggested. That is to develop the practice of witnessing all thoughts, words and deeds, so as to feel or experience the presence of Consciousness within us.

To move in this direction, we are asked to mentally chant the name of God, who is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss. After practising this for some time, the chanting is heard and realised, which is the outcome of the Consciousness getting separated from the chanting. This is one of the ways to know and experience Witness Consciousness.

WITNESS YOUR THOUGHTS 

By Eckhart Tolle

If you can recognise, even occasionally, the thoughts that go through your mind as just thoughts, if you can witness your own mental-emotional reactive patterns as they happen, then that dimension is already emerging in you as the awareness in which thoughts and emotions happen — the timeless inner space in which the content of your life unfolds.

* * *

Start listening to the voice in your head as often as you can. This is what I mean by “watching the thinker,” which is another way of saying, “Listen to the voice in your head, be there as the Witnessing Presence.” When you listen to that voice, listen to it impartially. That is to say, do not judge or condemn what you hear, for doing so would mean that the same voice has come in again through the back door. You’ll soon realise: “There is the voice, and here I am listening to it, watching it.” This ‘I am’ realisation, this sense of your own Presence, is not a thought. It arises from beyond the mind. When you listen to a thought, you are aware not only of the thought but also of Yourself as the Witness of the thought.

Source: Source: The Power Of Now 

WITNESSING

When anger arises, neither express it nor suppress it, but sublimate it by being a witness.

* * *

Do not create, chase and avoid thoughts, just step back and be a witness.

* * *

Contemplate the Pure Self, the witnessing Consciousness, untouched by the nature of the body, mind and Karma.

* * *

Meditation is rescripting your life. The doer and enjoyer get replaced by the calm Witnessing Consciousness.

* * *

You may feel concerned how you will remain active as a Witness, because you think a Witness is just a spectator who remains aloof and does not participate in the game of life. However, the one who has attained the state of witnessing is not a spectator. He participates and efficiently plays his roles as ordained by his past Karmas. In fact, he lives life fully, profoundly and in awareness. He also gets up, sits, walks and moves about like others but with awareness. A new beauty manifests in his life. The awakened Consciousness is not against activities but is free from doership.

Source: https://www.srmd.org

WITNESS CONSCIOUSNESS

By Jagjot Singh

Witnessing is the subtlest aspect of Consciousness that marks the arising of a new mind or the whole mind. Nisargadatta Maharaj said that the Witness is the bridge between Pure Awareness and the identified aspect of consciousness (mind). In other words, it is the pathway from movement to stillness.

The whole mind, as opposed to the fragmented mind, witnesses the totality of all functioning or What-Is. In witnessing, the observer becomes the observed, the experiencer becomes the experiencing, or the seer becomes the seen. It is the breakdown of the subject-object relationship where the subject becomes the object or vice versa.

In witnessing, things are simply seen for the way they are rather than the way they should or should not be. There is no ‘you’ to filter or distort perception. The perceived ‘you’ is also an object within the seen, among others. So, things are seen, but there is no seer. Therefore, the Witness is the ‘Being’ that remains in a natural state, silently watching all phenomena. It watches every feeling, thought and sensation, but there is never a need to change or manipulate anything.

Source: jagjotsingh.com

WORDS TO INSPIRE

“It is God who has written the script for the movie (of the manifestation), He has produced and directed the movie, and most importantly, He is playing all the characters in the movie and it is God as Consciousness, who is witnessing whatever is happening through which God can enjoy as Consciousness whatever is happening. The sage participates in the movie of life. He witnesses all and accepts whatever is happening, accepts the misery and the pleasures of life as something happening to that object, which was created by God.” 

— Ramesh Balsekar

DEAR CHILDREN

A weaver with a bundle was caught by a policeman, who examined the bundle and found stolen goods from a rich man whose house was broken into by thieves. The weaver was taken to the police station and the next morning he was taken before the magistrate on a charge of theft. The trial started. There was no lawyer to represent the weaver. The magistrate directly questioned the weaver as to what happened the previous night. The weaver said, “Last night, by the will of God, after my work and meal were over, I was sleeping under my tree as usual. At the dead of night, by the will of God, two persons came and woke me up. By the will of God, they placed a big bundle on my head, and by the will of God they asked me to go with them. After walking a short distance, by the will of God, we saw a policeman coming. By the will of God, the two men who were close at my heels, ran away. By the will of God, the policeman caught me, and by the will of God, he took me into custody. By the will of God, I slept well inside the prison. In the morning, by the will of God, I was brought here before you, and by the will of God, you are putting questions to me.” Hearing the story of the man, the magistrate could realise that the weaver was not the thief. So, he was acquitted. The weaver came out, and when his friends asked him what happened, he said, “By the will of God, I am released.” He saw only God's will from beginning to end. 

LEARNING FROM THE SCHOOL OF LIFE

Unveiling The Inherent Human Values From Frequently Used Articles

Beloved Papa Swami Ramdas said that every human being who wants to learn what life is, can do so by probing through and through into the very core of human existence; and if he is wise, he can derive utmost benefit from such deep and abiding experiences.  

Here are a couple of examples:

◈ Grass: 

A blade of grass teaches us humility. It bends and therefore it survives storms. When grass is pulled out, it comes out in clumps along with some more grass. This is because the roots are intertwined. This teaches us unity and togetherness.

* * *

◈ Tree:

It teaches how to give without having expectations. We use its fruits, flowers and wood for various purposes. However, the tree never consumes its own fruits. Besides, its branches, leaves, flowers, fruits are so diverse and yet a part of the whole. Similarly, although there is diversity all around us, we need to perceive God as the common uniting factor.

HOMAGE TO LUMINARIES

Saints are called the ‘awakeners’ whose grace works on the Sadhaka like the sunlight on the lotus bud, which blossoms into a fragrant and beautiful flower. Contact with Divinely illumined personalities is therefore very necessary. However, the unfolding of the hidden Divine life and truth must take place according to the nature and qualities of each aspirant’s inner and outer life and being.

This month, we reverentially pay our respects to Swami Chinmayanandaji and Sri J Krishnamurti. 

◈ 8th May 2024 is the 108th Jayanti of Swami Chinmayanandaji: 

He taught the Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads to the masses in an easy-to-understand and relatable manner. He said, “Witnessing Consciousness alone is real. Witnessing Consciousness can never get affected by ego. Witnessing Consciousness has no Vasanas, no likes, no dislikes, no Dwesha, no Raga, Lobha, Mada, Dambha, Darpa, Irshiya and Asuya. Witnessing Consciousness witnesses all these things. Gaining Witnessing Consciousness alone is truth.”

* * *

◈ 11th May 2024 is the 129th Jayanti of Sri J Krishnamurti: 

This occasion brings to mind his words: “‘I don't mind what happens,’ that is the essence of inner freedom. It is a timeless spiritual truth: release attachment to outcomes, deep inside yourself, and you will feel good no matter what.”

EPISTLES OF SWAMI RAMDAS

Beloved Ram,

…The conflict of apparently opposing forces in the play of the natural phenomena is viewed by the man of clear vision as by one among the audience witnessing a drama on the stage. He looks at the clashing forces dispassionately, without identifying himself with either, realising that the same Power is expressing itself in both aspects. This is the secret of Yoga which Sri Krishna in the Gita holds as the highest ideal to be attained…

IN MEMORIAM

Sri PS Thyagarajan (aged 84) an ardent devotee of the Ashram from Coimbatore was called by Beloved Papa on the 9th of April 2024.  

We pray for Beloved Papa’s blessings on the departed souls for eternal rest and peace at His lotus feet.

ANANDASHRAM NEWS

15500-CRORE NAMA JAPA YAGNA FOR WORLD PEACE:

The total Japa received in the fourth round of the 15500-Crore Nama Japa Yagna for World Peace in the month of March 2024 is 200 crores, chanted by 181000 devotees. The grand total of the Japa done so far in this round now stands at 2010 crores.

* * *

SESSIONS WITH CHILDREN AT ANAND KUTIR IN ANANDASHRAM:

In March 2024, 2 interactive sessions were held in Anand Kutir with 110 B.Ed. students. Through small focus group discussions, they shared the following insights:

• Thoughts shape lives and fuel personal growth and transformation.
• To love our fellow beings, we must first learn to love and accept ourselves.
• While outer beauty matters, it is our inner beauty that should truly outshine external appearances.

* * *

93RD ANNIVERSARY OF ANANDASHRAM:

15th May 2024 marks the 93rd Anniversary of Anandashram. This occasion makes us recall the long way ahead of us in realising the ideal of Universal Love and Service based upon the vision of the Common Factor in all.

May the blessings of our Masters be upon us to attain this lofty ideal they have placed before us.

BOOK IN FOCUS

'LECTURES OF SWAMI RAMDAS' (5 Volumes)

The profound wisdom shared by Swami Ramdas through this comprehensive collection of his talks and discourses delivered during his world tour in 1954, were faithfully recorded by Swami Satchidananda. These volumes provide readers with invaluable insights on integrating spirituality into everyday life. Covering a wide spectrum of topics, this set of books serves as a timeless guide for spiritual seekers and those interested in the practical application of spiritual principles. 

Available in English, Kannada, Telugu.

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

“Be the witness of the mind. You are the Watcher and the mind is the watched. As you begin to watch the mind it will gradually cease to be. The Witness or Awareness alone is there. Witness Consciousness is Atman.” 

— Swami Ramdas

DOWNLOAD THE VISION

Devotees can download the PDF version or the audio book this issue of THE VISION by clicking on the relevant links.