Bhoomananda Foundation

This is a discourse series given by Swami Nirviseshananda Tirtha during the Gurupoornima Retreat at Narayanashrama Tapovanam, in Kerala. As the name suggests, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is a voluminous text. It is a treatise on Self knowledge and it covers all aspects of human life.

Chanting the shanti Mantra of the Upanishad, (ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते।पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते॥ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥), Swamiji discusses why this chanting is taken up before the study of the Upanishads. He explains that to understand this subtle and profound knowledge, there has to be a conducive and harmonious environment and right attunement of the body, mind and intelligence.

Discussing the Shanti Mantra, Swamiji deeply analyses the word ‘Poorna’. This Poorna is the non-dual consciousness. It is different from anything in the objective world. This Consciousness or Brahman is Poorna in essence and when it produces the objective world, then also it is full and undergoes no change at all. Swamiji emphasizes that the Self is changeless, causeless, immortal and always in its pristine form. When the whole world is manifested, the Self does not undergo any change.

Swamiji concludes the day by discussing the three kinds of shanti or peace.

Swamiji begins the talk by sharing about a health situation in his disciple’s life after his wife’s demise. The disciple survived a few serious health situations and turned to Swamiji to accept him as a sannyasi. Swamiji advised him to be a Sadhu and continue to live an austere life.

Reciting and explaining a verse from Vivekachudamani, Swamiji says that we are the unbroken, indivisible Consciousness. The Self (I) is the witness of everything. The whole universe is witnessed by the Self. Diving into the depth of this verse, a seeker understands that nothing is really possessed by him.

Shlokas chanted in the Track:

नारायणोऽहं नरकान्तकोऽहं

पुरान्तकोऽहं पुरुषोऽहमीशः ।

अखण्डबोधोऽहमशेषसाक्षी

निरीश्वरोऽहं निरहं च निर्ममः ।।

Vivekachudamani-494

PR 16 Jan 2012

In this track, Swamiji discusses the notion of “I” as the all-pervading Presence. The body, composed of Panchabhutas, is animated by consciousness, expressed through the mind and intelligence.

By meditating and dissolving mental activity, one can experience the presence of the Consciousness pervading the body. This is a direct experience.

The ultimate realization is that this presence permeates everything. It is a knowledge derived from the intelligence.

Shlokas chanted in the Track:

आदौ ब्रह्माहमस्मीत्यनुभव उदिते खल्विदं ब्रह्म पश्यात् ।।

Śataśloki of Śankaracharya, Verse no: 3

In this Talk, Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha describes meditation as the Summon Bonum of all disciplines leading to the Ultimate Goal of Self Realization / Moksha. He urges all seekers to lovingly, sincerely, and committedly practice meditation for purifying the mind and sharpening the intelligence to embark in the path of discovering the Indwelling Presence.

“Do not magnify anything in life’, Swamiji says. Whether something good or bad happens, they both constitute life. This assimilation is what is enrichment of the mind. Let everything take its own natural course, and we remain unruffled.

In this message, Swamiji emphatically states that the Self alone is. If at all anything else is, it is an expression, display and manifestation of the self. A seeker has to identify with the Self, become the Self and have the resultant bliss, contentment and fulfillment. Once he has attained this state, he should ensure that his mind and intelligence never slip or fall from the Truth.

When a person attains the Self, then he does not have to take to any external worship, and he does not have any more duties to perform. Being constantly linked to the Self, he lives a life of contentment, joy and fulfillment.

Shlokas chanted in the Track:

शान्तिं निर्वाणपरमां मत्संस्थामधिगच्छति ।।

Bhagavad Gita 6.15

तत्त्वमाध्यात्मिकं दृष्ट्वा तत्त्वं दृष्ट्वा तु बाह्यतः ।

तत्त्वीभूतस्तदारामस्तत्त्वादप्रच्युतो भवेत् ।।

Mandukya Upanishad Gaudapāda Kārikā 2.38

निस्तुतिर्निर्नमस्कारो निःस्वधाकार एव च ।

चलाचलनिकेतश्च यतिर्यादृच्छिको भवेत् ।।

Mandukya Upanishad Gaudapāda Kārikā 2.37

This is the sixth in a set of six talks on 'Sadhana Chatushtaya', based on Vivekachoodamani, during the Sadhana Shibiram Jamshedpur held on 13 October 2023.

In the concluding talk of this series, Swamiji says that a seeker must develop a sky-like, expansive, and elevated dimension. He must avoid repenting about past actions, and avoid imagining the future. Not being self-centered, he must be loving, flexible, and not take everything too seriously. In spirituality, the unfoldment and blossoming will happen in a natural manner, if the seeker is sincere.

Vivekachudamani (verses 254—263) describes the indescribable Consciousness and gives direct instructions to the seeker about what his mindset should be. All the ten verses end with the instruction from the teacher to the disciple ‘…ब्रह्म तत्त्वमसि भावयात्मनि’—Develop the Bhava that ‘You are Brahman’.

How can the Consciousness be contemplated upon? The Supreme Consciousness is beyond caste, creed, family, and lineage; it is free of name and form; it transcends space, time, all objects. It cannot be grasped by any words, senses, or the mind but it can be grasped by a purified intelligence. It is beginningless, pure and it is beyond the duality of subject and object. It is not connected to any of the six kinds of waves—old age, death, hunger, thirst, misery, or delusion.

It is the substratum of the entire creation, but it has no other support; it is its own support. It is different from both Sat and Asat, it is beyond all duality and it is incomparable. The Ultimate reality is transcendental, it is beyond one. It is the cause of all the perceived variety but it refutes all other causes. It transcends the cause-and-effect chain.

There is nothing other than the Consciousness, it alone shines as everything. It is the most Supreme. It is the inmost self of all, it is free of all duality and it can be known only as one’s own Atma. It is the real, eternal, unchanging substratum of all. If all these shlokas are contemplated upon in the mind, one will definitely, doubtlessly, realize the Truth, says Vivekachudamani.

This is the fifth in a set of six talks on 'Sadhana Chatushtaya', based on Vivekachoodamani, during the Sadhana Shibiram Jamshedpur held on 13 October 2023.

In this Satsang, Swamiji continues to discuss the Sadhana Chatushtayam—the four-fold pursuit of a spiritual seeker.

In this series of talks, Swamiji discusses the four-fold pursuit of a seeker (Sadhana Chatushtaya)--Viveka (Discrimination), Vairagya (Dispassion, non-clinging), Sama-damaadi Shatka Sampattih (six-fold inner treasures), and Mumuksha (intense yearning for liberation).

A seeker must strive to cultivate calmness of the mind, sensory restraint and forbearance. Withdrawing from worldly enjoyments, he must make a practice of reveling in the Self. Giving Supreme the supreme position in his life, he must have unswerving devotion to the words of the scriptures and the Guru. His mind must be infused with the Soul dimensions and remain fixed in the Self.

A sadhaka must have an intense yearning or aspiration for liberation. There is a common misconception that liberation means not taking birth again. In reality, liberation means becoming free of all the bondage of the mind and intelligence. When one becomes free of all the bondage of the mind and intelligence, a sky-like, spatial feeling will dawn in the mind. In that state of Jeevan Mukti, the mind and intelligence will be in a state of harmony and integration.

The scriptures unambiguously state that scholarliness will not lead to Moksha. If one has read all scriptures but has not realized the Truth, then the reading of Scriptures is useless. The Atma Tattva must be known by the seeker by intense Sadhana and by the association of the Guru. One does not attain liberation by Yoga or Saankhya or by the study of scriptures. Only when one has had the realization that Brahman and Atma are the same, Moksha is attained. It is attained only when one realizes one’s own infinite dimension, not by any other means.

This is the fourth in a set of three talks on 'Sadhana Chatushtaya', based on Vivekachoodamani, during the Sadhana Shibiram Jamshedpur held on 11 October 2023.

In this Satsang, Swamiji continues to discuss the Sadhana Chatushtayam—the four-fold pursuit of a spiritual seeker.

Titiksha is accepting all situations in life, without complaint or lamentation. When the mind refuses to accept a situation, it becomes agitated and stressed. But the moment the situation is accepted, the mind becomes peaceful. Remaining unaffected by any external situation and practicing forbearance is Titiksha.

Shraddha is having a firm conviction, devotion and faith in what the Guru (teacher) and the shastras (scriptures) say. In Vedanta, it means giving Supreme the supreme position in life. Generally, Shraddha is how much we value a certain goal and that determines our attention to that particular goal. When one values something in life, the mind spends time thinking about it and pursuing it. A spiritual seeker must have shraddha towards the imperishable, unchanging Self and spend mind-hours on it and anchor the buddhi in the inmost Truth.

Samadhana is keeping the mind infused with the Soul-dimensions and remaining fixed on the Self or Truth. Vivekachudamani says that at all times, in all situations, the intelligence must be anchored in the Self. In interactional times also, a seeker must incorporate the Soul dimensions in the buddhi. Swamiji emphasizes that reading about the Self, listening to a spiritual discourse, thinking about it, is not enough. Such practices may give pleasure, but the mind will not have Samadhana. Samadhana will come only when a seeker can be established in the Self constantly.

This is the third in a set of four talks on 'Sadhana Chatushtaya', based on Vivekachoodamani, during the Sadhana Shibiram Jamshedpur held on 10 October 2023.

In this Satsang, Swamiji elaborates on the four-fold qualities for Spiritual Pursuit-Viveka (Discrimination between the real and unreal), Vairagya (Impersonality and impartiality), Shat-Sampattih (Six-fold inner treasures or virtues) and Mumuksha (yearning for freedom).

Viveka and Vairagya are symbiotic, each helps the other. Viveka will lead to Vairagya and as Vairagya grows, Viveka also is enhanced. They both are prime factors which lead the seeker to his goal. The six virtues must also abundantly grace a seeker of Truth—Sama, Dama, Titiksha, Uparati, Shraddha and Samadhana.

Sama is Inner calm. It is making the mind desire-free and attaining unaffectedness and poise. When the mind becomes calm, automatically the senses become placid-Dama. The seeker must also strive to cultivate the quality of forbearance (Titiksha), where he is able to remain unaffected by any external situation. He must be able to withstand all suffering, without any complaint. He may try to redress the situation later but the core point is that his mind must be free from agitation. Uparati is withdrawal from worldly enjoyments. It happens naturally when we delight in the Self. Introspection will lead to the understanding that real joy comes only from within. When one understands that perennial joy lies within, the mind no longer looks for joy from external objects, people or situations. It accepts everything joyfully.

In conclusion, Swamiji replies to a question regarding the state of a knower. The knower sees and interacts with the same world, but he is free from delusion and ignorance. He has a clear understanding about the world and about himself. Because of the dominance of Sattva Guna in his personality, his observations are sharp and sensitive. He is established in the Self; It is a constant awareness for him.