The Nature of Thought, Part Two
Author: Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami
Description: The experience of those who have not awakened to the inner path: "...your awareness automatically traps itself into the pygmy consciousness as a victim in a vast, ever-changing conglomerate of pranic mind substances." Go deep within the essence of the mind. Seek to see the all pervading energy which permeates all form. Markanduswami via Yogaswami: "When in meditation you watch the mind...Watch very attentively and learn to pick up things coming from within. Those messages are very valuable...open this inner book." Gurudeva's and Bodhinatha's commentary on Monistic Theism within the "Four Shum Perspectives" practical uses in solving problems. "Master Course Trilogy", "Merging with Siva" Lessons 204, 205
Transcription:
Good morning everyone.
This morning we're continuing "Merging with Siva" Chapter 30 entitled: "The Nature of Thought" drawn from the "1970 Master Course," Lesson 206:
"Awareness Externalized
"In concentrating on a flower, one of the sadhanas that you have been given, when awareness is held steady and only the flower exists within the mind, as well as outside your body, close observation and scrutiny of the flower can then begin. An intuitive flash will bring knowledge of the complete cycle of that particular form in all phases of all manifestation. This intuitive flash comes to those just beginning the processes of meditation. Later on, the process can be slowed down and sustained. We cannot be imaginative here or fantasize, for only through actually keying into the particular area in time and space does one begin to contemplate future and past in relationship to it.
"Living in the external area of the mind, it appears that thoughts are always changing. New concepts come and old ones go, as do customs and systems of living. From an inner perspective, it is similar to riding on a train, seeing the countryside, animals, people and buildings quickly pass by. Everything seems to be changing, but it is only you who is traveling through space. So it is within the mind. You
travel through inner space rapidly or slowly, depending upon the nature of your sadhana or your natural emotional velocity. It is through holding fast to this perspective that a swift inroad to further enlightenment can be attained. If you hold to the perspective that thoughts and forms are always changing, your awareness automatically traps itself into the pygmy consciousness as a victim in a vast, ever-changing conglomerate of pranic mind substances. (Isn't that great? Read that again.) ...your awareness automatically traps itself into the pygmy consciousness as a victim in a vast, ever-changing conglomerate of pranic mind substances. You have experienced this, no doubt, as it is the experience of those who have not awakened to the inner path.
"What we must seek to see is the all-pervading energy which permeates all form. It is not necessary to centralize on one thought or sequence of pictures as opposed to another to gain this new perspective, for we cannot, in a sense, climb up to it. We have to drop down into it by going deep within the essence of the mind and intuiting the all-pervading force. We come out of that state as a pure, unhindered awareness, able to flow and focus detachedly in the accustomed areas of mind that make up what we term 'our life,' and as new cavities of mind awaken before our vision, we flow in and out of them not hampered or hindered by what is seen."
Lesson 207:
"The Sources of Thought
"Sometimes the thoughts you think are not your own. Your individual awareness may have inadvertently been pulled into an area of the mind that someone else is aware in. So, unintentionally you may be reading someone else’s thoughts as your own, and if they are of a nature that you do not approve, it is possible that you may be disappointed in yourself. Keen discernment must always be employed by the aspirant on the path in order to decipher which is which. This is difficult, but you should always question thoughts that just pop into your head to find out whether they are, in fact, your own or those of another.
"A general outline that you can follow in deciphering your personal thoughts from those of another is this. As soon as you begin to question your thinking with this in mind, if the thoughts are yours, you will continue thinking in the same way after the questioning has subsided. However, if they are those of another, through the simple act of questioning whether they are or not, you have removed awareness from the area of mind they are vibrating in. Then when the questioning has subsided, you will forget that trend of thought and go on with one of your own. Their thoughts will fade from your memory in a similar way dreams do when you awaken in the morning.
"This is by no means an inference that you should every minute of the day question your thinking as I have just described. For, more than often, with people whom we love as well as with our friends and acquaintances..., For, more than often with people whom we love as well as with other friends and acquaintances you would want to be always drifting into the areas of mind they are in, and they with you. It is only on rare occasions that thoughts of an uncomely nature, of an instinctive nature, especially sexual, may militate against your sadhana. My advice is, rather than blame yourself, first question to see if such fantasies are actually your own. Mass hysteria and fear of a national or global disaster can also be picked up by the sensitive individual, sometimes unknowingly. Along the same lines, we should be alert to this.
"There is a Saivite hermit, the venerable Markanduswami, living in a humble mud hut in Sri Lanka. He is very old, and was for many years a disciple of Jnanaguru Yoga swami. In fact, his every utterance is a quote from his guru. One afternoon at his hut he described Yoga swami’s approach to dealing with thought during meditation. He said, "Yoga swami said, ‘Realize Self by self. You want to read this book, that book and all these books. The Book of Infinite Knowledge is here (pointing to his chest). You’d better open your own book.’ The prescription he gave me to open that book is this: 'When you are in meditation, you watch the mind. Here and there the mind is hopping. One, two, three,…a hundred. In a few seconds the mind goes to a hundred places. Let him be. You also watch very carefully.
Here and there this mind is running. Don’t forget Self for a second. Let him go anywhere, but if he goes to a hundred places, you must follow him to a hundred places. You must not miss even a single one. Follow him and note, He is going here. Now he is going there.’ You must not miss even a single one. That is the prescription Satguru Yoga swami gave me to open this inner book. He said, ‘Watch very attentively and learn to pick up things coming from within. Those messages are very valuable. You can’t value them. Realize Self by self and open this inner book. Why don’t you open your own book? Why don’t you make use of it? Why don’t you open your own book? What an easy path I am prescribing for you!’”
And my commentary continuing on "The Four Shum Perspectives."
Comment from Gurudeva:
"In shumnuhm (meditation) the shūmīf perspective of the three worlds and seven dimensions of the mind that does not involve us in knowledge of the devas and Mahadevas who live in the inner worlds. You would be experiencing through the shūmīf perspective exactly what the devas would experience in the second and third worlds for they can meditate upon the Shum concept. Shūmīf is pure advaita. When we become conscious of the devas, Mahadevas or our personal Deity we have transferred our perspective into what is called the dīmfī perspective which is pure dvaita. The Siddhanta philosophy is approached from the mūlīf perspective when it is intellectually studied and of course vāṇāsana, hatha yoga, the knowledge of pranayamas, kalîbasa, and the currents of the physical body all relate to the simnīf perspective."
Then we have some more on Saiva Siddhanta by Gurudeva:
The Dīmfī perspective is very intriguing; it is definitely the path of bhakti, karma yoga and there is always a God, deva or outer space person to be beholden to. One not need too much philosophy to be in this perspective. People of all religions are here. The dīmfī perspective blended together with the mūlīf perspective releases the powers of philosophy and creates a monistic and pluralistic Saiva Siddhantin in one person. Breaking through the barrier from the dīmfī to the mūlīf is easy. Those take study, coaching from an accomplished adept. When the two are blended Vedanta and Siddhanta merge. When these two perspectives are blended with the shūmīf perspective, monistic Saiva Siddhanta bursts forth in all of it's fullness. And when these three perspectives are blended with simnīf, monistic Saiva Siddhanta can then contribute to the betterment of this generation and the generations to come. The simnīf perspective sees into the mechanism of growing things, what's in the earth making everything work. What's in the egg, what's in the DNA.
Then we get the perspective in personal problems. Gurudeva commentary:
"To psychoanalyze your problems would be in the mūlīf perspective. To take them to the Feet of Lord Murugan would be the dīmfī perspective. To move awareness away from the problem into a happier state of mind and then look back and understand the karmas involved is the shūmīf perspective. To be injected by a psychiatrist with a chemical drug to alleviate the problem would be the simnīf perspective.
Let's take a common... (Now this is me, that ends Gurudeva there). Let's take a common modern day problem, depression and look at how the problem can be solved through each of these four approaches. So this is minor depression, not a serious case of depression but minor depression.
The simnīf perspective is often favored which is taking a prescription drug such as prozac to chemically alter our mood. Discussing the problem with a counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist is the solution from the mūlīf perspective. Going to the temple, placing the problem at the feet of the Deity is solution from the dīmfī perspective. Solving the problems through meditation is the shūmīf perspective, moving awareness into a happier state of mind.
So, my commentary continuing:
In helping a devotee we use all four approaches. When everything is going fairly well in a devotees life we end up just using the dīmfī and shūmīf perspectives. These two are the core of our Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy which is described as Monistic Theism or the practice which emphasizes both temple worship, the theism and meditation, the monism. Advice relates to going to the temple and worshiping Lord Ganesha or meditation on certain Shum concepts. However, when a devotee is somewhat discouraged we rely on mūlīf, sharing the philosophical insights of Gurudeva. For example: "Everything is as it should be. Whatever you face is your own self created karma. Lean on the power of your spine." This helps them become reinspired to the point where they are able through the practice of temple worship and meditation to solve their own problems again. Sometimes simnīf advice is also given such as how someone would benefit by exercising a half an hour a day, losing weight, following a better diet and so forth.
Thank you very much. Have a wonderful day.
[End of transcript.]