by Sri P.C. Lahiri
‘The Science of The
Absolute’ is an original coinage of Prajnanpurush
Sri Sri Babathakur (the Master). Its imperative significance for me arises from
the fact that the Master began with the Absolute, always remained in the
Absolute and ended in the Absolute day in and day out. Its deviation never happened. This was depicted
in His every action/inaction, normal day-to-day talks, discourses, behavior and
demeanor at all times. A perfect Soul who is established in The Absolute, i.e.
He who is perfectly unified and identified with the Absolute, shall never deviate
from the path of the Absolute.
How is it possible for a soul who is present in flesh and blood, in this mundane world of innumerable variations and contradictions, to be entrenched at all times in the Absolute which is One without a second? If it is possible, then how does it happen? This is a very pertinent question that comes to our mind as we do not meet and deal in life with an absolutely perfect Soul. The Science of the Absolute figures in here. Science here is that methodology or technique or way, by the application of which, the Knowledge of the Absolute can be perfectly applied in every sphere of life. Merely having any knowledge is not enough. One must know the perfect way to apply it whenever needed. The knowledge of “right application of knowledge” is science. I heard this definition of the word “science” from the Master and then when I mulled over it, I realized the true significance and extreme depth of the definition.
Here I am reminded of an incident narrated by the Master that dates back to the times of the Ramayana. Rishi Vishwamitra came to king Dasharatha with a request to take young Rama to kill the extremely powerful asuras (demons) who were making the life of hermits and sages miserable. Rishi Vashishtha (a Self-realized Soul who was perfectly established in the Absolute) was the Guru of the family of Dasharatha. He asked Vishwamitra to wait, and instructed Rama to bathe in the river Sarayu next morning before sunrise and come to the king’s court ready to spend the day till sunset. The court was open to all the noblemen as well as recognized men of quality and knowledge. As the proceedings began, Vashishtha directed Rama to ask him all the questions that came to his mind. Rama’s questions started from the very mundane and moved on from there day after day. These question-answer sessions went on for six months from sunrise to sunset till Rama reached the last question - “who am I”. As soon as he heard the answer, he went into samadhi (deep trance). Vishwamitra was infuriated as he thought that Rama had left the body and would not come back from this deepest of trances (nirvikalpa samadhi) which signifies Self-realization. Vashishtha asked him to relax and said that one who can send Rama to the ultimate state of Being, can also bring him back to the mundane world. Vashishtha went into a trance and brought Rama back. After his return Rama prostrated before his Sadguru and said that he now was aware of everything and requested his permission to leave with Vishwamitra to complete the task in hand. Vashishtha said no. Rama was a little puzzled and Vishwamitra was again very upset as to why permission had been denied even though Rama was now fully ready. Vashishtha said that now he will ask Rama the same questions from the first to the last, and Rama will have to give the right answers. Rama successfully completed this question-answer session in the reverse role giving all the answers almost instantly, thus completing the whole process in a short time. When Rishi Vashishtha was asked why this reverse session was at all needed? His answer was that in the first session Rama acquired the Knowledge of the Absolute and in the second session he acquired the Science of the Absolute, i.e. the Knowledge to apply that Supreme Knowledge in life. Thus, the cycle gets completed and the disciple then can be termed as a perfectly Self-realized Soul who is fully established in the Knowledge of the Absolute by being unified and identified with It. Perfect Knowledge of the Absolute is inclusive of the the Science of the Absolute. A soul of the caliber of Rama also forgot his real identity on arrival in the mundane world but because of his very high caliber, realization revealed in Him in only six months of constant association with his Master. High caliber in the present context means an absolutely ready soul who not only has the capability of listening to his Master with rapt attention and unwavering concentration for hours, but also is able to simultaneously assimilate the meaning of each and every word that emanates from the lotus lips of the Sadguru. There were many other highly learned, elevated and recognized souls in the king’s court throughout this period of Sadguru-disciple conversation but none of them were able to reach the pinnacle of realization.
In this context I am reminded of what Master often presented as an example. It is an example related to steel production at the Tata steel plant at Jamshedpur, India. When molten steel, fresh out of the giant converters, travels through the specially constructed canals, because of extremely high temperature its color turns white and one cannot look at it with naked eyes. If water is poured on it then the readiness of that state of molten steel is such that it would soak in the whole of it in a flash, not a drop will spill out. Such has to be the readiness of a true follower; only then will he/she be able to soak in each and every word of Sadguru as Rama did and be able to fully justify his human birth in the true sense of the term.
Now is there a process to achieve this state of readiness? Master says yes. The easiest and the most effective process in the present- day world is to follow the principle of ‘all-acceptance and all-embrace’ which is nothing but the Science of the Absolute. How? Pat comes the answer - by the wholehearted acceptance of your own Self and the Self all as the undivided Absolute; and live with this acceptance at all times. If we find it very difficult, then we can draw many lessons from the life of the Master and at least make a beginning. In the next issue of E-Sanai I will try to present what I saw in His company and what I heard from Him; the lessons I tried to draw from them and finally apply in day-to-day life to find joy. Despite many limitations of mine, I was able to find lot of joy and ease in life by just making an effort to sincerely follow some easy behavioral patterns demonstrated by Him and a few easy directions given by Him.
Submitted at the lotus fee of the Master.
How is it possible for a soul who is present in flesh and blood, in this mundane world of innumerable variations and contradictions, to be entrenched at all times in the Absolute which is One without a second? If it is possible, then how does it happen? This is a very pertinent question that comes to our mind as we do not meet and deal in life with an absolutely perfect Soul. The Science of the Absolute figures in here. Science here is that methodology or technique or way, by the application of which, the Knowledge of the Absolute can be perfectly applied in every sphere of life. Merely having any knowledge is not enough. One must know the perfect way to apply it whenever needed. The knowledge of “right application of knowledge” is science. I heard this definition of the word “science” from the Master and then when I mulled over it, I realized the true significance and extreme depth of the definition.
Here I am reminded of an incident narrated by the Master that dates back to the times of the Ramayana. Rishi Vishwamitra came to king Dasharatha with a request to take young Rama to kill the extremely powerful asuras (demons) who were making the life of hermits and sages miserable. Rishi Vashishtha (a Self-realized Soul who was perfectly established in the Absolute) was the Guru of the family of Dasharatha. He asked Vishwamitra to wait, and instructed Rama to bathe in the river Sarayu next morning before sunrise and come to the king’s court ready to spend the day till sunset. The court was open to all the noblemen as well as recognized men of quality and knowledge. As the proceedings began, Vashishtha directed Rama to ask him all the questions that came to his mind. Rama’s questions started from the very mundane and moved on from there day after day. These question-answer sessions went on for six months from sunrise to sunset till Rama reached the last question - “who am I”. As soon as he heard the answer, he went into samadhi (deep trance). Vishwamitra was infuriated as he thought that Rama had left the body and would not come back from this deepest of trances (nirvikalpa samadhi) which signifies Self-realization. Vashishtha asked him to relax and said that one who can send Rama to the ultimate state of Being, can also bring him back to the mundane world. Vashishtha went into a trance and brought Rama back. After his return Rama prostrated before his Sadguru and said that he now was aware of everything and requested his permission to leave with Vishwamitra to complete the task in hand. Vashishtha said no. Rama was a little puzzled and Vishwamitra was again very upset as to why permission had been denied even though Rama was now fully ready. Vashishtha said that now he will ask Rama the same questions from the first to the last, and Rama will have to give the right answers. Rama successfully completed this question-answer session in the reverse role giving all the answers almost instantly, thus completing the whole process in a short time. When Rishi Vashishtha was asked why this reverse session was at all needed? His answer was that in the first session Rama acquired the Knowledge of the Absolute and in the second session he acquired the Science of the Absolute, i.e. the Knowledge to apply that Supreme Knowledge in life. Thus, the cycle gets completed and the disciple then can be termed as a perfectly Self-realized Soul who is fully established in the Knowledge of the Absolute by being unified and identified with It. Perfect Knowledge of the Absolute is inclusive of the the Science of the Absolute. A soul of the caliber of Rama also forgot his real identity on arrival in the mundane world but because of his very high caliber, realization revealed in Him in only six months of constant association with his Master. High caliber in the present context means an absolutely ready soul who not only has the capability of listening to his Master with rapt attention and unwavering concentration for hours, but also is able to simultaneously assimilate the meaning of each and every word that emanates from the lotus lips of the Sadguru. There were many other highly learned, elevated and recognized souls in the king’s court throughout this period of Sadguru-disciple conversation but none of them were able to reach the pinnacle of realization.
In this context I am reminded of what Master often presented as an example. It is an example related to steel production at the Tata steel plant at Jamshedpur, India. When molten steel, fresh out of the giant converters, travels through the specially constructed canals, because of extremely high temperature its color turns white and one cannot look at it with naked eyes. If water is poured on it then the readiness of that state of molten steel is such that it would soak in the whole of it in a flash, not a drop will spill out. Such has to be the readiness of a true follower; only then will he/she be able to soak in each and every word of Sadguru as Rama did and be able to fully justify his human birth in the true sense of the term.
Now is there a process to achieve this state of readiness? Master says yes. The easiest and the most effective process in the present- day world is to follow the principle of ‘all-acceptance and all-embrace’ which is nothing but the Science of the Absolute. How? Pat comes the answer - by the wholehearted acceptance of your own Self and the Self all as the undivided Absolute; and live with this acceptance at all times. If we find it very difficult, then we can draw many lessons from the life of the Master and at least make a beginning. In the next issue of E-Sanai I will try to present what I saw in His company and what I heard from Him; the lessons I tried to draw from them and finally apply in day-to-day life to find joy. Despite many limitations of mine, I was able to find lot of joy and ease in life by just making an effort to sincerely follow some easy behavioral patterns demonstrated by Him and a few easy directions given by Him.
Submitted at the lotus fee of the Master.
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