GNAANA YOGA

By 

Achala Bhakthan

In simple terms, Gnaana Yoga is realizing the SELF through knowledge.   This makes it clear that there is no knowledge to us at present.  Knowledge of what?   Knowledge about the SELF, the Supreme Truth, the very Existence of all of us, the Life principle.  How to gain that knowledge?  The Supreme SELF is explained in our Smritis and Srutis, which are nothing but what is heard from our Seers about their direct knowledge of the SELF;.   These srutis and smritis are presented to us by learned masters in Vedas who had direct knowledge (Aatma Gnaana) through their Saadhanaas.   Great Rishis have added their Bhashyams and given us the Puranas, Ithihasaas and epics in the form of  Raamaayana, Maha Bharata, Bhagawatham etc. in the form of stories and how the heroes performed their actions in the world.  Through these epics they have revealed to us the morals that we should follow in leading our mundane life.  The examples and models are to be taken only for understanding the principles and we should not blindly follow their path, lest we will falter as we have no capacity like them to tread the way.

To study the Vedas, one should know the Sanskrit and Grandhaakshara.  One should have a proper Guru to teach, since these cannot be learned by self-reading.  In olden days the teachings were through Guru Mukhena (directly heard from Gufu’s mouth) and through repetition of the Slokas or Manthraas, since they need musical tones and should be uttered with certain specific tonal variations.  Also after learning, one has to practice what is stated therein and purify oneself in the ways shown by the great leaders, seers and gurus.  Acquiring the knowledge about the SELF alone will not help us in realizing.  We have to put them into action and strive for it through the four maargaaas shown therein.   Reading and assimilating requires full attention and repetition of manthras requires constant and rigorous practice under a learned guru.      Normally in olden days this learning was done through loud repetitions of what the teacher taught in the form of manthras.  In modern times it has shifted to writing, reading, and now in computers.  Vedas are chanted with Swara, Raaga and laya and hence it needs a base of musical talent and uchaarana skill, which comes only by repeated and rigorous practice.   Even if one did not read the Vedaas, one should have at least heard and have a conviction on what Vedaas say.  This knowledge could come by hearing learned persons and discussing with them.  Thus, once you have a fair knowledge about the Vedanta Siddhantas and have conviction, then you will have a base to go into Gnaana Yoga, which relates to contemplation on the Ultimate.

After learning from the Vedaas and through regular practice one has to attain the Supreme stage.  Gnaana yoga presupposes a basic theoretical knowledge about the universe, Self, Atman etc. The topics learnt are contemplated often in mind and analysed inwardly.  Here again. Faith in our scriptures, conviction about the Vedantic Values and a firm desire to seek the Brahman are the prerequisites for a Gnaana Yogi.  The question is how to go with the Yoga.  Of course, when it is based on contemplation, meditation is the way. Meditate on what and how to go about meditation.  A full description about Meditation is given in my article on Meditation, which may please be referred to before you go further with this article.

In Gnaana Yoga a specialty for the Sadhaka, is after his Neti Neti process of meditation and when he crosses the border of concentration, he should observe the knower of the experience.  This is a very subtle point one has to remember.  As we said, the SELF is the substratum on which the entire universe is revolving.  The Jeevaatma also is part of the universe.  With the conditioned self we are trying to reach the unconditioned SELF.  Therefore, so far as the conditioned self exists, the experiencer is the conditioned self, but there is some one who sees this experiencer and the experience process, without whose presence this experiencer cannot function.  The saadhak should try to observe as to who is the seer who sees this experiencer or who is the WITNESS of this experiencer and the experience.  If the conditioned self is experiencing, the Witness who is aware of this process of experience by the experiencer should be different from the experiencer because the experiencer does not experience and know that he is experiencing.  .We cannot do dual process, i.e. we cannot experience and also know that we are experiencing.  

But, how is it possible to experience and also observe or know the WITNESS both at a time?  That is the main purpose of Saadhana, Meditation or Contemplation process.  It is not merely chanting and counting the chanting or simply concentrating on some object.  It is locating the Witness who is witnessing the experiencer.  When I am the experiencer, how can I observe the Witness during the process of experience?  Is it possible?  Yes, provided, you try to get away from the experience.  The moment you do not associate yourself with the BMI and surrender your EGO, you are not there to experience. The EGO in you is going through the experience because of its identification with the BMI. But surrendering of Ego is the difficult task, which naturally happens once you dissociate with BMI for some time.  Ego loss is a natural process. 

Let me give you a clue about the WITNESS.  When you sleep well without dreams, you do not know at the time of sleeping that you are sleeping.  But when you come to wakeful state, you remember the deep sleep and say I slept well.  When you were not present or conscious of the sleep during sleep, how did you know that you slept?  when you are in a dream state, you become one with the incidents in dream and forgot your status in your wakeful status.  When you were not present in dreams thus, how can you say, after coming to wakeful state, that you dreamt and also you remember some incidents in the dream state?  Let us consider your experience in wakeful state.  At one time, you become angry and in that angry state you scold your wife and even inflict bodily injury in an outrageous manner.  After you cool down, you see the scene and enquire what happened, because you did not know while you were furious on your wife and you were not there when you did all the things that you see now.  If you were present at the outrageous action time, you would not question thus. 

All these show that there is some one who observes all these when you were not present (conscious) but act and tells you that you were so and so just a little while ago.  That is during sleep, dream and wakeful but outrageous state of mind    What you did etc. at that state is clearly shown to you once you come to wakeful state with cool mind.  Who is this that tells you what happened in such a state where your consciousness were absent?  It is the very energy in you, the substratum of you on which all your experiences in all the three states are based on. Let me call it a SPURANA, a knowledge atom that witnessed the experience you went through and makes you recollect.  This power or energy in you is the substratum or the real SELF in you.  This is called WITNESS (Saakshi), Which is separate from you and stands apart without getting involved in the experience and is, therefore, able to watch and know the things happening. This is called the KNOWLEDGE SUPREME.

If you are able to observe this Witness during the above said experience stages then and there when it happens, you will merge with the Witness and start observing all the things happening unattached and this is the state of Realization.  It is this state that one should aim at to achieve in this birth itself.  This is called the MOKSHA, MUKHTHI, i.e. a relief from birth and death cycle.  By birth and death I do not mean bodily death but the EGO death, the small “i” in you, which is transient.   Where there is EGO, the SELF is not revealed.   Where the SELF is revealed, there is no EGO.  This is the knowledge one should acquire through Sravana, Manana, Nidhidhyaasana and Samaadhi.  Sravana means hearing (not only hearing by understanding things the way it should be understood).  Manana means recapitulating and repeting constantly what is heard or learnt through scriptures.  Nidhidhyaasana means Contemplating, Meditating on the principles learnt.  Samaadhi means a stage reached through Saadhana (practice) of the principles learnt, where there is no EGO, the small “i” but only the Supreme SELF, the big “I” exists.  This is the process of GNAANA YOGA.

Realization is the aim of all the four paths, Hata Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gnaana Yoga and Bhakthi Yoga.  Gnaana Yoga is the Saadhana through enquiry, whereas Karma Yoga is through doing actions without attachment or involvement, Bhakthi Yoga is by surrendering the EGO and Hata Yoga is ignoring and refusing normal physical comforts.  In all the Yogas, the culminating point is surrendering the EGO.   This means non-identification with BMI or knowing that “i” is transient and “I” is intransient.  In fact all the four paths, according to me, are complementary and not contradictory, because the main thing in all the four are going beyond this EGO.   Let us resolve to adapt to any of these Yogas according to our belief, capacity and the frame of mind.  May you succeed in your Saadhana!   OM

OM TAT SAT