Seven Steps For Simple Samadhi (An Old and Rare Book)

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In The depth of our being flows a sparkling stream of joyful wisdom. Its transparent water is the common heritage of us all. Engaged in everyday affairs, however, we deny ourselves the sweet and life-giving nectar of this stream and prefer, instead, the muddy water of the rivers on plains. We muddle through our lives whirling on the wheel of existence and, when our boats arrive, are willy-nilly deposited on the yonder shore.

If some of us-and they are not may –have intense logging for the knowledge of the mystery of life and universe they may with Divine Grace have a glimpse of the Source and this fleeting flash may transform their lives.

The author of this book suggests seven steps for giving a new direction to our lives-wherever we may be or whatever we may be engaged in ; and by earnest and single minded perseverance, discover the Source, and thus be blessed with realization of the essential nature of Pure consciousness. He keeps close to the language and idiom of aspirants in the mainstream of life.

The chief merit of the book is its simplicity and the only demand it makes is on confining the ego and mind to their own places and inducing them to lose their identity in the Pure Consciousness. There can be no better testimony t commend this book than the words of Sri M.P. Pandit, who says in the last para of his Foreword: ” It is a delight to follow the author in his exposition of experience that undoubtedly underlies his writing. It communicates itself. And that is the virtue of this significant work”.

Books on Yoga or Samadhi tend to be usually more or less technical, out of bounds to the common reader, However interested he may be concerns of spiritual life Treatises on Trance, Samadhi, of Various types, particularly emphasize a state of consciousness which is far removed from the world in which all of us are involved. The present exposition of the subject is to be welcomed for its simplicity, recognition of the demands of every day life, and the manner in which it puts forth the possibility of attaining to the state of Pure Consciousness while still remaining and working in the world. The writing is obviously a result of direct experience, enlightened knowledge and unusual clarity of mind on the part of the author.

He does not call for rejection of life on earth in order to accept the lure of heaven. He gives a practical course of discipline to be practiced on the stable base of the householder. One starts with purification of the mind: eliminate the negative and weakening movements and promote the positive ones. Develop the habit of attending to one thing at a time. Bring the mind into a focus instead of letting it run away with every distracting thought. The next step is to cultivate calm in the mind, equanimity of consciousness. The calm is gradually depended into Peace. As a result of self-introspection and meditation, a detachment from the transient things of life beings to take root. There is an increasing awareness of the Self which is aloof.

. Next comes an intensive aspiration which is described as the ‘quest of the finite for the Infinite’. This aspiration comes in the wake of ‘a flash in the inner being or rises like a flame from the depth of the heart.’ Then follows the ascent of consciousness: rising of thought, feeling, emotion, life-force upwards. The author notes that every step in the movement of this ascent calls down an answering descent of the higher Consciousness. Incidentally he draws attention to the esoteric features of the institution of Yajna or home which underline the psychological and spiritual linkages that are effected in the participating individual.

Then there is the need to cultivate equality which is so much emphasized in the Gita. Equality in all happenings is the hallmark of spiritual couture. It preserves the state of tranquility and serenity which the other steps of the discipline build up in the being. The author draws meaningfully upon the mystical heritage of the saints of Kashmir the sayings of Kabir, to underline his earnest plea for inner exertion.

Pure Consciousness is in the depths of your own being as it is also on the summits of your being head. Kabir describes it as ‘moonlight without moon, bin chanda chandni, Establish a link with it by repeated exercises of withdrawal of the mind from external pre-occupations, observation of the immobile status of the self. It will lead you to the state of sahaja samadhi which remains unaffected even in the midst of activity in the world. Learn to separate aham from idam to start with; One day you will find that the aham pervades all and gives meaning to it.

It is a delight to follow the author in his exposition of the experience that undoubtedly underlies his writing. It communicates itself. And that is the virtue of this significant work.

“He who experiences that consciousness which is entirely pure, not depending on any support (i.e.,) object) and is of the same form as one’s deeper I-consciousness is liberated while alive; there is no doubt about it’

The inner life of seeker of Truth is known to himself. It is a saga of spiritual adventure aimed at establishing relationship with the Divine in the depth of one’s being, of which his soul is a monad. The adventure is reward in itself and the achievement of the goal means life’s fulfillment.

To describe the inner experience3 in words is not possible. Indeed, the spiritual tradition in all parts of the world is in favor of passing on the secret wisdom to deserving and chosen disciple-aspirants by touch, look or initiation. This tradition has a valid reason behind it. For unless a person has arrived at the stage where his experience gives him certitude about Divinity, the words of the Teacher Mahatma will fall on barren ground.

The Divine Being is all around us. Indeed there is nothing Here excepting the Divine. We do not perceive this as our gaze is not turned inward. It is mysterious and yet clear as daylight. Our fault or misfortune is that we are so much involved in the activities of our external life that we do not have inward bent to have a glimpse of the Light within.

According to the Laws of Manu, the student, the householder, the hermit and the ascetic constitute four separate orders which depend on the order of householders. This order is declared to be superior to all of them, as it is the mainstay of the other three. According to this division, one should acquire knowledge in childhood, enter the marital status in youth and follow the right vacation. From his early age he should devote himself to virtuous life, enjoined by his religion. In his old age he should detach himself from the worldly activities. A householder should be devoted to the contemplation of the Divine Being through Love, pursuit of Wisdom and Good actions.

If we agree with the emphasis on the householder in the society as the central pillar which support the roof and consequently the entire house, a general conclusion can be drawn that in the quest of Truth, it is essential that the spiritual life should be lived in the mainstream of life. The test of spiritual attainment consists in living in our socioeconomic milieu. As Sri Krishna Prem used to say a person cannot be said to have learnt cycling truly unless he can drive though a crowded street.

For millennia, each day in all parts of the world billions of human beings have been engaged in prayers, worship, individual/group/community singing in praise of the Divine and chosen deities, visiting places of worship, undertaking pilgrimages to holy places, listening to lectures and discourses on religious topics, participating in kirtans and collective prayers. What has been the net achievement? Except for a limited number of human beings who have attained the goal, human life for the vast majority has remained bereft of happiness, peace and harmony.

Traditional Samadhi is a quantum leap to the oblivion a flight of the alone to the Alone, crossing the yawning chasm of the Void, which only the bravest of Brave can attempt. An effort has been made in this book by suggesting seven steps-taken from the spiritual lore-and describing them to help an aspirant in his ascent to the Pure consciousness. With Pure consciousness as the constant preoccupation one can live in the mainstream of life in love, harmony, joy and freedom.

While interest in Yoga is worldwide, Samadhi is considered its climax, and the quest for Truth should be welcome, it should not be forgotten than indiscriminate practices may prove dangerous unless done under the guidance of an authentic Guru. Simple Samadhi, on the other hand, does not have any danger if Pure consciousness is a constant preoccupation while one is engaged in the business of living in conformity with the steps described in this book. The order in which they have been presented may be taken as arranged for the sake of convenience. Each aspirant can take them as a whole or set his own order.

I have taken the liberty of describing existence under the umbrella of Pure Consciousness as Simple Samadhi. One can adopt the term used by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, namely, the Simple Union. The Sanskrit word Samadhi has been explained in Chapter VII, but why is it called Simple Samadhi? There are stories related of saints who on being blessed with the experience of Divinity burst into laughter and said that they had discovered nothing new, but only that which was all along theirs if they had looked deep enough within. What do they find? It is the Pure consciousness which gives them certitude about the Ultimate Reality. It is the beginning of the territory of the Absolute. Total absorption in the Absolute Bliss is possible only for rare seekers who join the ranks of the select few who like a drop join the Vast Ocean of Eternity. Nevertheless, there is hope for those who live ordinary lives to tread the journey of life lined to the Pre Consciousness and reach the goal of Self-Realization.