LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK!
Techniques for sudden enlightenment _______________________________________________________
When you hear the words of the Master, you know he is uttering the Truth to which you always wanted to listen. Now you know you can't escape from this Truth! Your Being says, 'This is the Truth! I am going to follow it. I am going to follow it.' Your logic will try to find thousands of reasons not to believe. Your mind will say, 'No, no, have you gone crazy? Fool, wait! Tomorrow, not today.' It will give a thousand reasons. But your Being simply says, 'No, I've decided. I'm done. It has happened.'
Techniques for sudden enlightenment
In this space, there is no need for practicing techniques.
In the fifth layer, there is no effort.
You just leap into the experience, that's all!
That is why the fifth layer is called the bliss layer.
Because it is called the bliss layer, don't imagine that here we will be working to create bliss!
No!
Bliss is the fragrance of consciousness.
As you move closer and closer to the core consciousness, as you loosen your hold on your body and mind, the bliss that is naturally there inside you will start bubbling up.
In the fifth layer, you are already so close to the Source, that there is a high chance that you can experience sudden enlightenment.
What is sudden enlightenment?
I can say all major spiritual traditions can be classified into two major categories. One is the category that gives you techniques for gradual progress towards enlightenment.
There will be a clear-cut, defined path, like the five disciplines prescribed by the father of yoga, Patanjali – yama (discipline), niyama (personal conduct), asana (sequence of postures), pranayama (breathing), and pratyahara (withdrawal).
It will appeal to the common mind. You can start and slowly continue to progress! It is easy to start on this path but difficult to end; it is easy to start the practice, but difficult to achieve the final experience.
What is sudden enlightenment?
The other tradition has techniques which catapult you directly into the experience, like the Shiva Sutras (meditation techniques delivered by Shiva). These are techniques that can straightaway take you into the space of enlightenment!
But accepting such techniques may be a little difficult, because logically you cannot feel connected.
For example, there is a technique which says that if you can just be intensely aware when you sneeze, you can become enlightened!
Just a sneeze can lead you to enlightenment!
How can you believe this? You just cannot understand these techniques logically. That is why these sudden enlightenment techniques work only if the seeker has the courage to experiment. You need courage, and a feeling of deep connectedness with Existence or your Master.
The traditions that teach us gradual enlightenment have also contributed a lot. For new seekers, they can be a really inspiring way to start.
Not only that, your body and mind are also gradually prepared, so that when you finally have the experience, you are able to hold it.
It is the slow and steady path!
But these gradual paths have a danger: until the very end the seeker does not even know what he is seeking.
It is like searching for a black cat in a dark room!
Without even a glimpse of the state, how long can you keep up the inspiration? So even before he gets the ultimate breakthrough, the ultimate opening, the mind may get tired.
The modern mind is very impatient.
It wants everything instantly, like instant coffee!
LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK! Techniques for sudden enlightenment WHAT IS SUDDEN ENLIGHTENMENT?
If you are open, sudden enlightenment techniques can straightaway you give a glimpse of the experience.
Even one glimpse can convince you that the experience is possible for you.
Then you will not have so many doubts and problems.
All your problems are nothing but doubts like, 'Does such a state really exist? Is it possible for me? What will happen to my life if I do get enlightened? What will happen to my husband (or wife)?'
When you have at least one glimpse of sudden enlightenment, all these problems and doubts will disappear. It will be a lot easier for you to travel on your spiritual journey.
Only two things are needed for sudden enlightenment: a powerful energy field, and a prepared inner space.
When you are in an intense energy field - in a holy place, or in the presence of a realized being - naturally the powerful spiritual vibrations can affect you.
When you are sincere, courageous, intensely available, you allow the energy to work on you.
When both are right, 'the happening' can happen!
The right energy field
In every culture, there is the concept of holy places and pilgrimage spots. Sacred places or worship, sacred mountains, sacred rivers are part of every religion. It is well-known that certain places hold vibrations which can raise you to higher levels of consciousness.
These places have such a powerful energy field, it will simply pull you inside! In such places, you don't even have to meditate.
Meditation simply happens to you!
When you are in tune with the energy of the place, meditation will happen naturally. An energy field need not even be a physical location.
In Tibetan Buddhism, they have the concept of 'bardos' – the intermediate states between death and rebirth, the states where the possibility of enlightenment is very high.
The energy field that is always available to you is the presence of an enlightened being. Because he lives, moves and acts in the space of enlightened consciousness, an enlightened being radiates and showers the same experience upon all who come near him. If you are sensitive enough, you can touch the same space in his presence. You can simply absorb and radiate the same experience!
Understand, any expression that comes out of enlightenment will take you to enlightenment.
For instance, if a piece of music has come out of enlightened consciousness, if you imbibe it with deep receptivity, it can take you to the same space.
If you imbibe the expression, the body language of the Master, the expression itself can take you to the experience of enlightenment
That is why they say, being with the Master is effortless meditation.
Blessed are the ones who live around an enlightened Master.
If you are open, the enlightened Master can simply download the software of an enlightened physiology into you.
The right inner space
When the inner space of the disciple is completely available to the Master, the first step is the last.
There is a Sanskrit sutra (aphorism) for this happening, which says, deeksha mokshah.
The initiation is itself the liberation.
Just the initiation liberates.
When the seeker is ripe, you don't need the three steps of shravana (listening), manana (reflection) and nidhidhyasana (expression).
Shravana directly leads to nidhidhyasana. No time is wasted in manana!
When the trust in the Master is total, the disciple simply listens to the Truth and starts expressing it in his life.
A beautiful incident from the enlightened Master Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi's life:
A disciple of Bhagavan called Muruganar was writing the Ramana Purana, verses in praise of Bhagavan.
But he had what you call the 'writer's block', and he was stuck at one point. Whenever you write with ego, the 'writer's block' is sure to happen!
Anyhow, that disciple came to and said, 'Bhagavan, I am not able to write further, please help me.'
THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM said, 'Put that paper down and leave. I will talk to you later.' The disciple placed the paper before Bhagavan and left.
The next day when he came back, he saw that the whole poem had been completed! Bhagavan had written the last 300 lines himself.
When the book was printed, the writer enclosed those 300 lines within quotes and added a footnote, 'These 300 lines were written by Bhagavan Himself.'
Bhagavan saw the book and asked, 'Oh! So then, all the other lines are written by you? Alright!'
The disciple later said, 'Something simply broke in me when he said that. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I just dropped down at the feet of Bhagavan and never got up again.'
Just that one comment was enough for this disciple, Muruganar, to become enlightened! Because the disciple was in such a state of readiness, because his trust in his Master was total, that casual comment became a key for enlightenment. Because he did not resist with his logic, the Master's words directly penetrated his being and did their job!
What is initiation?
Initiation is the direct transmission of Truth from Master to disciple.
When a teacher conveys the truth to a student in words, it is called a teaching.
When an enlightened Master directly transmits the experience of Truth to the disciple, it is called initiation.
When the Truth is experientially transmitted, the disciple straightaway gets a glimpse, he has a powerful spiritual experience that is beyond his logic.
He gets a 'click'!
If this click happens in the disciple, it means the initiation has happened.
Understand, when the Truth comes from the enlightened experience, from the pure inner space, you do not know why, how or what, but you suddenly see it is true!
It clicks, even though one part of your logic continues to fight. The initiation need not be in a form of a mantra. It can be just a few words, a clear expression of the truth that sinks deep within you and lifts you into its own space.
It literally explodes in you, in your consciousness. Truth has the power to shake you! As you listen, you start to live by it. You cannot forget it. Your life changes without any effort. This is the power of Truth.
LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK! Techniques for sudden enlightenment WHAT IS INITIATION?
Initially, a part of your logic continues to fight with it, because too much is at stake.
If you accept the Truth and start expressing it in your life, all your vested interests are at risk, your very life as you know it is at risk. But your core, your being understands.
It gets the click and says, 'I know that this is the Truth.'
You may not understand logically, but suddenly your heart feels connected to the words being uttered, the truth being expressed. That sudden click or connection with the Master and his teachings of truth is what I call 'initiation'.
Understand, unless you are tired of living with the ordinary logic, mere logic which cannot help you to look into your own life, your own mind, you cannot open up to the Master's initiation!
I am not against logic. Using your logic is not the problem. But when you trust your logic more than your intelligence, all your suffering begins.
The logic which dissects, which judges, which does not allow you to trust anything or open up to anyone, which does not allow any transformation to happen in you, is your first enemy.
In Bhaja Govindam, the enlightened Master sings:
Nahi nahi rakshati dukrinkarane
(Your logic cannot save you, it cannot give you the ultimate experience)
From love to enlightenment, anything can rejuvenate you, anything can make you feel that life is worthy, only when you open up.
If you open up to one person, you experience love. If you open up to a few people, you experience compassion, if you open up to the whole universe, you experience enlightenment, that's all.
Nithya Sutras, Dhyana Sutras, Ananda Sutras
Earlier, I had mentioned three types of techniques - the techniques which need to be practised twenty-four hours a day, the techniques which are to be practiced at a particular time and the techniques which can directly transport you to the space of enlightenment.
I call these techniques nithya Sutras, dhyana Sutras and ananda sutras.
Nithya means 'everyday'; these are techniques that need to be practiced everyday.
Dhyana means 'to contemplate; these are the techniques you need to practice for a particular period.
Ananda means 'bliss' - these are the techniques which can directly give you a glimpse of the bliss of enlightenment.
Sutra means 'aphorism' or a technique.
The techniques for sudden enlightenment are what I call ananda sutras.
Understand, the same technique may be a nithya sutra for someone, a dhyana sutra for another and an ananda sutra for a really advanced seeker. In my experience, I have seen that about one-third of the people are able to catch a technique immediately.
The moment they hear it, they feel, 'Yes, it is true!'
The click happens.
They simply start expressing it in their lives.
Another one-third connect to the technique, but they don't have the experience. This group needs to work with the technique. The technique has worked for them also, but they need time.
The third group, the remaining one-third, simply cannot connect to the technique. It makes no sense to them. For this group, it is better to move on, to try something else.
Sometimes, even when the same person works with the same technique, it can be a nithya sutra or dhyana sutra for him first, and suddenly one day it may become an ananda sutra.
For example, when you first try unclutching as a technique, you may do it only for a fixed period of time – maybe during your daily meditation session, or whenever you remember.
Then slowly, it becomes a nithya sutra – no matter what you are doing, you are aware, you are trying to be unclutched.
When the technique has soaked into you, when it has become part of your being – suddenly, one day you will see - the very same technique becomes an ananda sutra for you. You don't have to practice it, the experience just happens. You experience the final break from depression, the ultimate freedom.
The koans used by Zen Masters work in this way.
Koans are riddles which cannot be solved logically – in fact, they cannot even be understood by the intellect.
One of the most famous koans is,
'What is the sound of one hand clapping?'
Just imagine!
You will be shocked just hearing the koan, just trying to grasp it with your mind!
The whole purpose of the koan is to baffle your logic – to make you leap out of your thinking mind, at least for a few seconds.
Sometimes, a koan will have immediate effect, sometimes, the seeker will keep it in a corner of his mind, continuously working with it. It all depends on the ripeness of the seeker.
The sutra need not always be expressed in words!
Zen Masters are famous for using the Zen stick – a staff with which they give a sudden blow to a disciple to wake him up. Of course, nowadays, Masters don't carry sticks – but they can still give blows at the right moment! The 'blow' can be a physical action, a well-aimed word or a look.
If the connection between Master and disciple is so deep, so total, even words are not needed. Then even a look, even a simple movement of the Master's hand is enough to awaken the disciple in a moment.
For such a miracle to happen, the Master's compassion has to be unconditional, and the disciple's trust has to be total.
A small story:
A Zen Master was bringing up a small boy from a young age to be his successor.
This little boy had a very deep, loving connection with the Master, but he was very naughty.
He would always try to behave in the same way as the Master. Standing behind the Master, he would imitate the Master and make fun of him.
The Master had a habit of always holding his thumb up whenever he wanted to emphasize a particular point.
This boy also would stand behind the Master and do the same thing!
One day, when the boy was standing behind him and holding up his thumb, that Master simply turned around and cut off the boy's thumb with his knife.
Understand, he simply cut off his thumb!
The story says beautifully that the trust and the feeling of connectedness with the Master was so deep, the boy did not even think for a moment that something wrong was done to him. The disciple felt very clearly that if the Master does something, it must be good for him.
The story says that this deep trust, even during the intense pain, enlightened him at that very moment.
Understand two important things here.
First thing, the disciple was willing to go through any suffering, any kind of tapas (penance) for the sake of realization. Penance is nothing but being ready to work on the technique at any cost.
Second thing, such a deep sense of connection and trust in the Master existed in the boy.
He had the two qualities that can carry you to the ultimate: deep passion, and deep patience.
Passion is the powerful will to realize the truth, the courage to gamble your life to experience the Truth.
Patience is the deep prayer that you will have the experience, the deep passivity to wait for the experience.
Understand, when I say patience, I don't mean the kind of patience we usually have.
When it comes to enlightenment, we all have a lot of patience.
We don't mind waiting till next year or the next life for the experience! No!
Patience comes out of the deep trust that the Divine is supporting you at every moment.
Actually, when you have passion with patience, you don't even have to wait! Any moment can be the right moment for you.
Of course, such sharp techniques as the Zen Master used are only for whom enlightenment has become their first priority, who are willing to give their life for the experience.
When you are able to surrender your ego in the midst of such intense pain, you don't need another teaching. The very surrender will lead you to the space beyond ego.
LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK!
The three levels of surrender
One question which many people ask me is, 'Swamiji, how to surrender?'
Understand, surrender cannot be done.
It has to happen.
At the most, we can decide to surrender, that's all!
We can carry a deep prayer inside that surrender may happen in us.
Surrender happens at three levels: surrender of the intellect, surrender of emotions and surrender of your very senses.
Surrender of intellect means, trusting the Master's intellect more than your own. This is just intellectual surrender. At this stage, you follow the lifestyle that the Master shows you, that's all.
Surrender of emotions means, trusting the Master's emotions much more than your own emotions. This means trusting that the relationship with the Master is the ultimate relationship, more than any other relationship. If god appears before you and asks you to choose one person on planet earth as the only other person who can be alive except you, who will you choose? If you choose the Master, then emotional surrender has happened to you. If you feel that your emotion towards the Master is stronger than any other emotion, then emotional surrender has happened in you.
Be very clear, 99% of the people remain in the first level. Only 20% to 40% of these people move deeper to the second level.
Then there is the third kind of surrender, surrender of the senses.
In Krishna's life there is a beautiful incident which illustrates this:
After the Mahabharata war, when Krishna and Arjuna are relaxing in a garden one day, Krishna suddenly says to Arjuna,
'Look Arjuna, there flies a green crow!'
Arjuna says, 'Beautiful! A green crow!'
Krishna says, 'Fool! It is black, not green. How can a crow be green?'
Arjuna says, 'Yes Krishna! It is black, not green.'
Krishna asks, 'What is wrong with you? When I say green, you say green. When I say black, you say black. What is going on with you?'
Arjuna says, 'Krishna, let me be honest. I don't know what color that crow is. But when you said green I saw it as green. When you said black I saw it as black. I know nothing else!'
Arjuna's very senses trusted Krishna. He trusted the Master's senses much more than his own!
Once you experience something beyond logic, once you experience the compassion of the Divine, your logic simply gives way, your whole being simply gives in to that experience.
Even if you want to suspect the Master's words, suddenly you will see that your logic has no power over you anymore. His words are simply entering you beyond your logic.
You will see this happening to you also, when you sit in the presence of an enlightened being!
This is what we call Upanishad - just being around the Master, sitting in his presence and opening up to him. Upanishad means 'sitting at the feet of'. When a disciple sits in the presence of the Master, the same experience that happened in the Master is reproduced in the disciple.
The account of how the experience was transmitted - how the process began, what happened and how it ended - this report is referred to as an Upanishad.
Part 12: Meditation Is for You