eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üÉlÉlSsÉWûUÏ JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI The Liberated Sage: Ever Blissful, Never Deluded “THE SANDEEPANY EXPERIENCE” Reflections by TEXT SWAMI GURUBHAKTANANDA 45 Sandeepany’s Vedanta Course List of All the Course Texts in Chronological Sequence: Text TITLE OF TEXT Text TITLE OF TEXT No. No. 1 Sadhana Panchakam 24 Hanuman Chalisa 2 Tattwa Bodha 25 Vakya Vritti 3 Atma Bodha 26 Advaita Makaranda 4 Bhaja Govindam 27 Kaivalya Upanishad 5 Manisha Panchakam 28 Bhagavad Geeta (Discourse -- ) 6 Forgive Me 29 Mundaka Upanishad 7 Upadesha Sara 30 Amritabindu Upanishad 8 Prashna Upanishad 31 Mukunda Mala (Bhakti Text) 9 Dhanyashtakam 32 Tapovan Shatkam 10 Bodha Sara 33 The Mahavakyas, Panchadasi 5 11 Viveka Choodamani 34 Aitareya Upanishad 12 Jnana Sara 35 Narada Bhakti Sutras 13 Drig-Drishya Viveka 36 Taittiriya Upanishad 14 “Tat Twam Asi” – Chand Up 6 37 Jivan Sutrani (Tips for Happy Living) 15 Dhyana Swaroopam 38 Kena Upanishad 16 “Bhoomaiva Sukham” Chand Up 7 39 Aparoksha Anubhuti (Meditation) 17 Manah Shodhanam 40 108 Names of Pujya Gurudev 18 “Nataka Deepa” – Panchadasi 10 41 Mandukya Upanishad 19 Isavasya Upanishad 42 Dakshinamurty Ashtakam 20 Katha Upanishad 43 Shad Darshanaah 21 “Sara Sangrah” – Yoga Vasishtha 44 Brahma Sutras Chatuh-sutri 22 Vedanta Sara 45 Jivanmuktananda Lahari 23 Mahabharata + Geeta Dhyanam 46 Chinmaya Pledge A NOTE ABOUT SANDEEPANY Sandeepany Sadhanalaya is an institution run by the Chinmaya Mission in Powai, Mumbai, teaching a 2-year Vedanta Course. It has a very balanced daily programme of basic Samskrit, Vedic chanting, Vedanta study, Bhagavatam, Ramacharitmanas, Bhajans, meditation, sports and fitness exercises, team-building outings, games and drama, celebration of all Hindu festivals, weekly Gayatri Havan and Guru Paduka Pooja, and Karma Yoga activities. This series is an effort to promote the learning of Vedanta; it does not replace the Course, but hopes to inspire young people to spend two years of their life for an experience that is sure to make a far-reaching spiritual impact on their personal lives. Sandeepany is an all-round spiritual course that gives proper direction to the youth and to those approaching retirement. Hinduism is in dire need of a band of systematically trained teachers or Acharyas who can serve this Eternal Religion. – The Author, 29th May, 2020, 1st Punyatithi of Sri Swami Vimalanandaji Maharaj Om Namah Shivaaya! Text 45 eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üÉlÉlSsÉWûUÏ JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI “The Ever-Blissful Liberated Sage” Composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharyaji Reflections by Swami Gurubhaktananda on the Series of 5 Lectures by Swami Tejomayanandaji Guruji, then Spiritual Head, Chinmaya Mission, at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai. September 18th – September 22nd, 2013 Adi Shankaracharya Swami Sivananda Swami Tapovanji Swami Chinmayananda SERVE LOVE GIVE PURIFY MEDITATE REALISE Copyright & Author’s Details Author: Swami Gurubhaktananda (ex Krishna Chaitanya, born Bipin R. Kapitan in Durban, South Africa) Email: [email protected] © 2020 All Rights Reserved. Copyright held by Swami Gurubhaktananda. About This Edition: Web Edition: 29th May, 2020, 1st Punyatithi of Sri Swami Vimalanandaji Website: Chinmaya International Foundation: www.chinfo.org Series Title : The Sandeepany Experience Series Subject: Vedanta & Supportive Subsidiary Texts Declaration by the Author: The material in this series is under inspiration of the Sandeepany Vedanta Course, but largely consists of the Author’s reflections on the Course. He is deeply indebted to the Chinmaya Mission for its excellent presentation of the Course by their renowned and dedicated Acharyas. Personal Dedication 1. To my Late Parents, Smt Sharadaben & Sri Ratilalbhai Kapitan who inspired me to study in life, to stick to the path of Dharma and pursue the highest ideals; and swamped me with their abundant Love; 2. To Pujya Sri Swami Vimalanandaji Maharaj (1932-2019) the Late President of the Divine Life Society of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, who constantly encouraged and supported this effort; 3. To Pujya Sri Swami Tejomayanandaji (Guruji) for his boundless vision and inspiration to create a vibrant organisation; 4. To Sri Swami Advayanandaji and Sri Swami Sharadanandaji my Acharyaji and Upa-Acharyaji at Sandeepany, who imparted their bountiful knowledge and wisdom with rare selfless Divine Love, just as the Rishis of yore would wish to see them do. ***** JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI “The Ever-Blissful Liberated Sage” SRI SWAMI VIMALANANDAJI MAHARAJ 10TH OCTOBER 1932 – 9TH JUNE 2019 In Loving Memory on the Occasion of his 1st Punyatithi, 29th May 2020 (Jyeshth Shukla Saptami) eÉÏuÉlqÉÑ£üÉlÉlSsÉWûUÏ JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI 18 No. Verses by Sri Shankaracharyaji The Ever-Blissful Liberated Sage INTRODUCTION GURUJI BEGAN THIS text with a brief overview of the spiritual path prior to its culmination in Jivanmukti. He identified nine steps within the Vedanta system of Sadhana that take one from entry-point to Jivanmukti. The steps are as follows: 1. Shishya-Lakshana: In this stage, the qualities of a good student are cultivated. These have the group name Sadhana Chatushtaya. By the Grace of the Lord and self-effort from the student, he cultivates mind-control, sense-control, mastery over the mind, faith in God, Guru and himself, power to endure hardships – all of which finally end in developing a one-pointed mind. 2. Guru Lakshana: In this part, the characteristics of a Guru are described. They are twofold: i) the Guru is firmly established in Brahman; and ii) he is well-versed in the scriptures to be able to explain the spiritual path to the student. 3. Guru Upasadana: The meeting of the Guru and the disciple can now take place, with due humility on the part of the student and acceptance by the Guru. 4. Twam-Pada Vichara: The student begins by carefully discriminating between the Real and the Unreal, as regards his own constitution of the five sheaths. 5. Tat-Pada Vichara: He then learns about the cause and constitution of the world. 6. Asi-Pada Vichara: Thereafter he learns of the aim of spiritual life, which is the complete identity of the individual with the universal. Steps 4, 5 and 6 are called Sravana. 7. Aikya Virodhi Shanka Parihar: This is the removal of all doubts that obstruct him from realizing this identity. This requires serious self-introspection called Manana. 8. Viparita Bhavana Nivritti: After the doubts regarding Self-knowledge are cleared, the doubts regarding one’s ability to realize need to be eliminated. This requires a long practice of meditation or abidance in the Self. Firm abidance eliminates all the latent desires that obstruct the student. This step is called Nididhyasana. 9. Jivanmukti & Ananda: Finally, the last topic covered in Vedanta is the realization of Brahman while one is still living. It is called Jivanmukti. This is the state we are going to be engaged with in this text. Lahari means “waves of Ananda” that the Jivanmukta experiences. How a Jivanmukta lives in the world is the subject matter covered by this text. ***** 1 JIVANMUKTANANDA LAHARI “The Ever-Blissful, Liberated Sage” CONTENTS: Introduction 1 Verse 1: In the City 3 Verse 2: In the Forest 5 Verse 3: His Dwellings 7 Verse 4: Among All Age Groups 9 Verse 5: His Intellectual Fellowship 11 Verse 6: Attributes in Worship 13 Verse 7: His Worship 15 Pictures of the Divine Mother 17-20 Verse 8: His Bathing 21 Verse 9: Three States of Consciousness 23 Verse 10: His Attire 25 Verse 11: The Three Gunas & Beyond 27 Verse 12: His Verbal Expressions 29 Verse 13: His Non-Dual Worship 31 Verse 14: His Vision of Oneness 33 Verse 15: Form & Formless 35 An Essay on Jivanmukti 39 Verse 16: The Vision of the Mahavakyas 40 Verse 17: The Yogin, Tyagin & Kavih 42 Verse 18: A Panorama of Contradictions 44 ***** 2 Verse 1: In the City mÉÑUå mÉÉæUÉlÉç mÉzrÉlÉç lÉUrÉÑuÉÌiÉlÉÉqÉç AÉM×üÌiÉqÉrÉÉlÉç xÉÑuÉåwÉÉlÉç xuÉhÉÉïsɃ¡ûUhÉMüÍsÉiÉÉÇͶɧÉxÉSØzÉÉlÉç | xuÉrÉÇ xÉɤÉÏ Sì¹åirÉÌmÉ cÉ MüsÉrÉÇ iÉæÈ xÉWû UqÉlÉç qÉÑÌlÉlÉï urÉÉqÉÉåWÇû pÉeÉÌiÉ aÉÑÂSϤÉɤÉiÉiÉqÉÉÈ || 1 || pur£ paur¡n pa¾yan narayuvatin¡m ¡k»timay¡n suv£½¡n svar³¡la±-kara³akalit¡¯¾-citrasad»¾¡n | svaya¯ s¡k½§ dra½¿£-tyapi ca kalaya¯ tai¦ saha raman munirna vy¡mµha¯ bhajati gurud§k½¡k½atatam¡¦ || 1 || 1 pure paurān-pashyan nara-yuvatinām ākrtimayān In the city, he sees the citizens, young men and women of a variety of forms. 2 suveshhān-svarṇa-alangkaraṇa-kalitān chitra-sadrshān; They are clad in attractive dress and decked with ornaments of gold, just like pictures. 3 svayaṁ sākshhāt drshhṭa iti api cha kalayaṁ taih saha raman He actually sees himself in them and is mixing merrily with them. 4 munih na vyāmohaṁ bhajati gurudīkshhā kshhatatamāh. The sage, with ignorance dispelled by Guru's Grace, is not at all deluded by these. Puram is a city; Pure is “in a city”. The setting for the opening verse is a bustling City, comparable to a modern metropolitan or cosmopolitan city. 1 A city is full of various institutions like educational centres, medical centres, municipal offices, business offices, manufacturing centres, postal services, parks and gardens, roads and freeways, etc. Lots of people are there of all types from the educated to the illiterate. Our body itself is called a “nine-gated city” in the Geeta, because of the many functions that take place within it, all harmoniously doing its work to keep the body alive. 2 What does a saint see there? Attractiveness attracts attention. People deck themselves in ornaments to vie for more attention. Nothing pleases the human personality more than satisfaction of the ego’s needs. “Like pictures” – this expresses the superficiality of the attractiveness that has taken a grip over the people. There is no depth in it. Although the desire is there to dress attractively, not all can afford to do so. There are always the poor people who are dressed simply; the tramps who do not have spare clothes to change into daily and appear who very untidy, rough, and unkempt hair.