CHAPTER 6
THE NATURE OF VIJNAANA
The knowledge gained by hearing is only indirect. Then reasoning in conformity with the sruti texts, it must be ascertained whether
indirect knowledge concerns one’s own self or not. By reflection all doubts will vanish. After thus ascertaining by reflection that the
Self remains non-dual, contemplate the Self, that .is to say, keep the mind one-pointedly on the Self. If the mind becomes restless,
train it even forcibly. Be not effortless in this direction. Yoga Vasishta says: “Even with hands clenched and teeth ground, pressing
the limbs and forcibly withdrawing the senses, the mind must first be brought under control.” So the utmost effort must be made.
Also the breath must forcibly be controlled, if necessary by means of praanaayaamaa (regulation of breath). One-pointedness must
be gained at all costs. How long is effort necessary? Until direct experience is gained. Thus by contemplation the inmost Self is
realised. Then contemplate ‘I am Brahman.’ This is known as Recognition of the Self as Brahman (Pratyabhijnaa Jnaana). Although
this amounts to unmoded samaadhi (nirvikalpa) because it is unbroken uniform knowledge, yet owing to the difference in the
methods and results, it must be recognised that these two states are distinct. Such knowledge of the non-dual Self annihilates
ignorance.
The same is further explained. First ascertain the Self to be real by means of sravana and manana (hearing and reflection); then
contemplate; realisation results and it is nirvikalpa samaadhi. This is the idea: Dhyaana is only one; it goes by the name of
savikalpa samaadhi and of nirvikalpa samaadhi according to its stages of development. On resolving to keep the mind still for a
particular duration of time and continuing on the trail of the resolve without forgetting it, the period during which the contemplated
object remains uninterrupted, is said to be the duration of dhyana. If by long practice the contemplated object remains steady for the
intended period it is savikalpa samadhi (moded samaadhi). If again by repeated practice of the same the mind remains in unbroken
contemplation even without the initial resolve and its continued memory, it is said to be nirvikalpa or unmoded samaadhi. The
following explanation is found in a book Paramaananda: “Contemplation with series of breaks is dhyana; the same without break is
savikalpa samaadhi; stillness of mind without contemplation and break is nirvikalpa samadhi. Dhyana maturing and ending in
nirvikalpa samadhi, the inmost Self is realised. On breaking away from it, to remember the experience of the inmost Self, to recall to
mind the description of the Supreme Being in the holy texts and to identify the one with the other, forms recognition (Prathyabhijnaa
Jnaana).”
Q.: For such recognition, recollection is a necessary ingredient; recollection is of the mental impression already formed; impression
can be produced only in moded knowledge and not in the unmoded state of nirvikalpa samaadhi of one uniform unmoded Light of
Consciousness. A.: You are right. Unmoded light simply illumines objects like a pot etc.; it cannot produce any impression on the
mind to be reproduced later on. Otherwise a way-farer will be able to remember all that he saw on the way; but it is not so. Only the
moded knowledge such as “this is a pot, this is a piece of cloth” is later recollected. Hence, whatever subtle modes appeared in the
unmoded state (e.g., here is a man; here is Devadatta) are alone later recollected. By way of explanation some say that the end of
the nirvikalpa state is followed by a moment of savikalpa and this helps formation of impressions to be recollected later.
Others: Since the pure inmost Self cannot form the object of experience even in savikalpa samaadhi, they say that recollection is of
the experience of the samaadhi itself. (Because the savikalpa samaadhi of the nature of a resolve and cannot have the Pure Self for
its object) it cannot be maintained that in savikalpa samaadhi the Pure Self forms the object of experience. But how can the
recollection arise directly from nirvikalpa samaadhi? There is no rule that savikalpa alone should give rise to later recollection.
Vikalpa means appearance of differentiation. A wayfarer takes in very subtle impressions of things seen on the way and recollects
some of them. This alone can explain the recollection of deep sleep after waking from it. To the objection that recollection cannot
arise from nirvikalpa samadhi, the reply is: In any knowledge whichever factor is clearly seen, the same will later be recollected
along with that knowledge. In recollecting a panorama all objects in it are not clearly seen. But as it is said in Pratyabhijnaa
Saastra, “According to taste and according to desire” the recollection is limited to them. In this way all differentiation is solely a
mental mode. Yet pandits think in different ways. Therefore some say that there cannot be a recollection of nirvikalpa samaadhi. For
details refer to Pratyabhijnaa Saastra and its commentaries.