Contemplation of the Absolute-I

 

The following is an excerpt on ‘Contemplation of Absolute-I’ from Brahma-Atma Vidya Vol-2, pages 110-112 (compiled originally in Bengali by Shri Tushar Bhattacharya) transliterated by Sri Ramen Basu.

1.        There never was any difference between the living universe and the Self, nor is there any, now. The manifestation of everything is perfected verily by the Consciousness. You all are used to finding fault with each other in and through the senses, mind and intellect. That is, the shortcoming of the senses, mind and intellect. This shortcoming is nourished and grows by the thought that the body is one’s all-in-all. The directive of the Realizer of the Reality is to apply the mind earnestly at the center of Self I-Consciousness instead of the body, senses and the rest.

2.        One must take shelter under the Self I-Consciousness in order to overcome the influence of mine-Consciousness. That is possible when one practices sitting quietly in a self-composed manner for some time, without giving any indulgence to the ideas or feelings of the senses and mind i.e., to the imagination and thoughts of the mind; it means the practice of total relaxation at a particular time each day. Once this habit is somewhat firmed up, then to contemplate one’s own I to be outside the body like the sky i.e., the I is stainless, all-pervading like the sky and the Infinite Conscious Being or the ever-Existent Consciousness.

3.       There is not any birth, death, decay and changes of the sky i.e., no culminating result or transformation. That is eternally pure, free, permanent, changeless, formless, all-pervading, inactive and support-less. Contemplating on these words try to experience yourself in that Consciousness. Comparing one’s own I with the sky in this manner strive to experience yourself like the sky.

4.        Contemplating I as the Infinite, indivisible, the One without a second, the Absolute Manifester of all, the Revealer Being and the Self I-Reality, practice to dwell in that Consciousness. Gradually increase the time of practice and try to stay in that Consciousness as long as possible. Think that in this I there’s no fatigue or exhaustion, hence It has no alternative or substitute also.

5.        This I has no rival and has no adversary — like there cannot be another sky as the substitute or alternative of sky, there’s only one sky. This one sky is everywhere in the creation, similarly there’s only one I within the individual (Jiva). I means the ever Conscious Being or the Existent Consciousness.

6.        Under all circumstances and always you can remember the Consciousness; while moving, standing, sitting or lying down, the I is always there within the I. Be sure! You cannot go out of your I, you cannot know anything out of your I and this I is birthless and deathless.

7.        I is eternally changeless.  In Me, nescience/ignorance-science-prescience, agency and gratification are utmost impossible. I is bodyless, I has no body. I is dissociated i.e., I has no companion — ‘Eternally non-dual’. I is unbroken i.e., birth, death, decay and disease etc., the sixfold modification are absent in I. I is the Absolute i.e., beyond reals/Gunas, beyond conflict, beyond emotions/ideas, eternally permeated by Saccidananda.

8.        I is the Truth, I is the Eternal, I is all-Perfect, I is indivisible, I is the Absolute, I is non-dual, I is ‘Eternally non-dual’, I is Saccidananda Itself—this verily is the mystic formula (Mantra) of I. If each one can contemplate to some extent on these words each day, then one will observe that there has been a total personality change within a month; and by doing any mumbo-jumbo for the whole life nothing will be attained.

9.        The very nature of the Ishwara-Atma (God-Self) Consciousness is the very nature of the Absolute I-Consciousness. The Absolute Truth is one’s Own Self I-Consciousness which verily is Immortal Bliss and the Ocean of Supreme Divine Essence. For complete unification and identification with this Ocean of Supreme Divine Essence, the Science of this ‘Real Self I-Consciousness’ has been expressed as far as possible in a simple and lucid language.

10.     If one dives deep in the indivisible Ocean of Supreme Divine Essence i.e., Ocean of I- Absolute, then life is permeated by the Supreme Divine Essence, the Self I-Reality and Absolute Immortality. This Absolute-I of Ishwara-Atma is the Supreme Truth Itself, the Reality Itself, the indivisible profound Saccidananda, Love Itself, Absolute Itself and Peace Itself. If one dives in this indivisible Bliss of Divine Essence, then there is death of death itself i.e., Immortal Life-Divine is attained.

11.      In the Immortal Life-Divine, the supra-sattvic Self -Consciousness and the I of Consciousness is directly experienced below and above, in front and behind, to the right and to the left in all the states in One’s Own Consciousness.  Life then comprises the essence of Bliss Consciousness and is full of the essence of Bliss Consciousness like the sweet and juicy cottage cheese ball (rassogolla) is full of the sweetness through and through i.e., the Bliss Consciousness Itself is Its right identity. Wherever you taste there will be the experience of the same One Essence. The vision of all-even Consciousness and of the same One Essence everywhere shall open. This vision of One Essence is called ‘Rishi-Drishti’. That verily is the significance of the Absolute Realization- Brahman-Atman-Ishwara Consciousness.

12.      Experience yourself as the Saccidananda Itself by becoming One with the indivisible Ocean of Saccidananda, the Ocean of Supreme Divine Essence, just like the sweetness of a rassogolla is one with the rassogolla. Saccidananda is verily your Real Identity. In That, there is no defect of partiality, perception of difference and conflict, doubt or apprehension, fear or illusion— nothing is possible therein. After all these are removed through spiritual discrimination between the Self and non-self, the direct experience and realization of the existence of the Absolute I, the Self-Divine (Atmaram), the Self I-Reality (Paka Ami) at the root of the ego gets perfected; and the ego also is terminated forever.

 

Transliterated by Sri Ramen Basu and edited by Sri P.C. Lahiri, this work is submitted at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Babathakur.