Three Steps To Enlightenment

TALKS FROM MORNING SATSANG ON AUGUST 19 2012 IN MADURAI, INDIA Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) is a timeless treatise on the essence of living enlightenment. The Gita was imparted by the enlightened Hindu incarnation Sri Krishna to the warrior-prince Arjuna over 5000 years ago. Amazingly, the spiritual wisdom and life solutions offered in the Gita are so universal and current that even today it is used as a personal transformation guide. In today's talk on Bhagavad Gita, chapter 5, verses 27-28, Paramahamsa Nithyananda (Swamiji) unveils the spiritual technology for total living enlightenment. The plan is three-pronged, embracing lifestyle, technique and experience. The lifestyle gives us freedom from anger and desire and establishes the foundation for techniques to succeed. Once techniques are undertaken in a climate of compassion, they generate divine experiences. These in turn create spontaneous evolution within us, producing extraordinary powers. We become jeevan muktas -- super-conscious light beings. TRANSCRIPTIONS:- Bhagavad Gita-5th Chapter -- Sanyasa Yoga -- 27 & 28th Verses SparshaanKrutvaa Bahir -- baahyaam Cakshush -- Chaivaantare bhruvo l Praana -- panou samou krutvaa Naasaabh -- yantra -- chaarinou ll Yateendriya -- mano buddhihir munir moksha paraayanaha l Vigatecchaa --bhaya krodho yas sadaa mukta eva saha ll Beautiful, both the verses! SparshaanKrutvaa Bahir -- baahyaam Cakshush -- Chaivaantare bhruvo l Praana -- panou samou krutvaa Naasaabh -- yantra -- chaarinou ll Yateendriya -- mano buddhihir munir moksha paraayanaha l Vigatecchaa --bhaya krodo yas sadaa mukta eva saha ll Both verses together you need to understand. Let me give you the translation. The one who has made the sense objects remain outside, by retaining the sight between the eyebrows being in deep meditation; by balancing the life breath that moves inward and outward through the nostrils; by subduing the senses, the thoughts and the intelligence; having removed desire, fear and anger; being intent upon loosening the bonds, remains always relaxed and free. Understand this few sacred secrets: First, Bhagavan starts with the life style. The first line he says is: The one who has made the sense objects remain outside, by retaining the sight between the eyebrows. The first part: One who has made the sense objects remain outside - This teaches you enlightened life style. The second statement: Retaining the sight between the eye brows - This is the technique. Please understand, enlightened life style prepares you for the extraordinary experiences; techniques gives you extraordinary experiences; Enlightenment, Realization, Samyama gives you extraordinary powers. See the three classifications clearly: Enlightened life style is more life solution. That prepares the ground, root. Then comes technique, which gives you extraordinary experiences. Then comes Realization -- Anubhava or Anubhooti, which gives extraordinary powers. If you see Gnanasambandar's life, Gnanasambandar is one of the great incarnation. He is considered to be the incarnation of Subramanya, Skanda. Because Gnanasambandar had Parvati's breast milk, the enlightening milk, he is considered as the incarnation of subramanya in the Shaiva Siddhanta Tradition. One of the great saints! If you see his life, the experience of Devi appearing and giving enlightening milk to him, leads to the Samyama -- Realization and Expression of extraordinary powers. In his life, the life solutions did not play much role because from the very young age, he had the extraordinary experiences and powers. If you understand these three classifications, many of your confusions related to spirituality will disappear. Many times, people try to think one is enough or one is higher than the other. Please understand, if you are matured, even one is not necessary. In these three, nothing is necessary. Ashtavakra, the moment the day he was born, he neither had experience, nor had any powers, lived Enlightenment! Sri Ramakrishna had all the three. Life solutions, means Enlightened life style and then the extraordinary experiences and Samyama the power, Realization. In Gnanasambandar's life, you will see two things. As a three year old child, he did not study any Shastras. He did not start going to school. He did not learn the life style of enlightenment. He did not practice anything. Straight Devi appeared and gave the enlightening milk. And that experience has led to the Samyama --Realization and he started expressing extraordinary powers. Neither one is higher than the other nor one is lower than the other. For ordinary people, all the three are required. Don't try to have just one, not the other. If you have only technique, you may have extraordinary powers, but you may not have enlightened life style, the life style of compassion, love; the nervous system to radiate the joy. You may be missing that!