AANANDHA SAI
(Summary of a Talk given in Brindhavan)
Bliss comes with Blessings
AANANDHA translated means BLISS. Only with the Divine Blessing does the word AANANDHA give one a capacity to experience Bliss. Blessing goes with Bliss.
Svaami defines AANANDHA as: “A” meaning AATHMA – The inner Reality. “NANDHA” meaning the offspring. The offspring of the Reality – one who is born of the Reality. This emphasizes your origin which is the never changing Reality – Absolute PARABRAHMA. PARABRAHMA is our original abode.
In the BHRUGU VALLI of the THAITHIREEYA UPANISHATH it is said:
AANANDHO BRAHMETHI VYAJAANATH.
AANANDHADHYAIVA KHALVIMAANI
BHUTHAANI JAAYANTHE.
AANANDHENA JAATHAANI
JEEVANTHI.
AANANDHAM PRAYANTHYABHISAMVISHANTHEETHI.
SAISHAA BHAARGAVEE VAARUNEE
VIDHYAA –
Bliss as BRAHMAN;
From Bliss, indeed all these
beings originate;
Having been born, they are
sustained by Bliss;
They move towards and merge
in Bliss.
This knowledge is realized
by the sage Bhrugu and imparted by Varuna.
The AANANDHA VALLI of the THAITHREEYA UPANISHATH explains
YATHO VAACHO NIVARTHANTHE.
APRAAPYA MANASA SAH
–
Bliss is indescribable,
unspeakable
Because it transcends speech.
It is the Super Conscious Reality, the Supreme Source, the Origin of all Creation, of all the multiplicity of the Universe – EKAM SATH VIPRAH BAHUDHAA VADHANTHI. There is no BECOMING in Bliss, because it is BEING, IS-NESS; EXISTENCE. The UPANISHATHS explain absolute Reality. Bliss is not obtained by doing; it is just Being.
Svaami is the embodiment of the Divine Bliss. UPANISHATHS are the sum and substance of all the VEDHAS. The great sages, sacrificing, practised austerity, penance and explored the inner regions of their own Self, and the Reality was revealed. These were Revelations, not intellectual conclusions. They appeared in SAMAADHI – Deep Absorption, there is no triadic differentiation in that state.
There is no Seer – Seen - the Act of Seeing;
This is repeatedly mentioned in the THAITHIREEYA, BRIHADHAARANYAKA and above all, the SHVETHAASHVATHARA UPANISHATHS.
The Divine, the PARABRAHMA is the embodiment of Truth, Knowledge, Infinitude and Bliss. Infinite, because it is ever expansive, unlimited, omniscient and TRUTH, because it is unaffected by Time, Space and Circumstance. When you are aware of absolute Reality, you are in total Bliss. Bliss is the very nature, the essence of PARABRAHMAN. We originate in Bliss. Bliss is the highest of all forms of feelings, of joy, happiness, delight. It is not a summation of all the worldly feelings; it is a transcendental entity.
Svaami continuously reminds us of our Divine origin, the essence of Divinity is Bliss absolute. In the worldly arena, we are seeking sense satisfaction; senses are limited. Bliss is beyond. These sensual pleasures are pale reflections of Bliss. When Svaami sings the BHAJAN. “SATHYAM BRAHMA, JNAANAM BRAHMA, ANANTHAM BRAHMA, AANANDHAM BRAHMA” He is asking us, “Do you know your origin?”. BRAHMAN is our origin and abode.
Sometime ago, Svaami asked us “Do you know what NARA is?” The normal answer which came to the mind was “NARA means MAN.” The word NARA derives from the concept of “nerves”. Man is a bundle of nerves. This is the conventional way of understanding. Man is the Human being that has the maximum number of nerves. When we mentioned 72 000 nerves, Svaami corrected us 7.2 million nerves! NARA also derives from NEERAM or water. The human body is predominantly water. Nearly 99% of the body is based on the water principle. Svaami went further and said “We are not only nerves and not only water, you are more than that, you are: “NA” meaning No or Not; “RA” that which is destroyed (the Agni Beeja – Seed syllable for Fire God); “NA-RA” thus means “That entity which cannot be burnt”, i.e., AATHMA.” The only indestructible entity in the Cosmos is the AATHMA. NARA also means AVINAASHI – Indestructible. In spiritual terms both NARA and NAARAAYANA mean the same. Svaami emphasizes the Divine principle all the time. JALA or water is JADA, not alive. JADA PRAKRITHI is the nature that is not conscious, everlasting, outlasting even time. We are divine. We originate in Divinity. And the realization of that origin is the goal of life.
Thus, the word AANANDHA is not a qualifying phrase. It does not qualify the multiplicity of aspects of BRAHMAN. It is not just one of the many outer characteristics. It is the inherent characteristic, the innermost quality; SVARUUPA. You live in Bliss. Bliss is God, Divinity. This Bliss sustains you. If someone is happy, you do not ask, Why are you happy? Because happiness is our natural state.
In Kodaikanal, we asked Svaami, “How do we understand the divine mystery, Svaami?” Svaami said, “you really cannot understand. You will have to stand under Me for so long until your legs collapse!” "Svaami, can we then experience You?” "No, because it is relative; limited. You cannot fully experience; experiencing is like experimenting – it is experimentation." All experiences with Svaami, for example, His materializations, His miracles are experimentation. You nourish the experience in the mind; mentation is limited to the mind. Mentation is mental act. Svaami cannot be reached by the mind. YATHO VAACHO NIVARTHANTHE; APRAAPYA MANASAA SAH says the THAITHIREEYA UPANISHATH. "If we cannot really understand and it is also beyond our experience, then, how do we grapple with the Divine mystery, Svaami?" He laughed. "It is AANANDHA – enjoying, end-joy, end in joy!"
Svaami is supremely detached within, but intensely active without. He is Bliss based; of the nature of Bliss Divine. Bliss is not comparable with other states. It is Absolute, everything in Itself. It is a sense different from love. In respect of love, there is the Lover – Loved – and Loving. But in respect of Bliss, there is no such triad as Blisser, Blissed and Blissing! PREMA is a more appropriate word than Love, because PREMA is beyond senses; It is nothing but the manifestation of Bliss. When you translate PREMA as Love, you have the Thriputi, Subject – Object – Interaction. Bliss however is undifferentiated. Bliss exists in C.I.A. – Constant Integrated Awareness. “Svaami, you are SATH CHITH AANANDHA AVATHAARA”. Look at His miracles of over flowing Love. “HIS STORY” is the divine story. That is the true history. The PURAANAS and VEDHAS mention the concept of AVATHAARA. AVA means descent; THARA means to liberate. He liberates us from our ignorance, worldly bondages, and attachments.
Why do we forget our origin? There are three reasons, ego – AHAMKAARA, attachment – MOHA and desire – KAAMA. Ego – AHAMKAARA is a self imposed limitation. It arises because of VAASANAS – Impressions and imprints arising from literally hundreds and thousands of births in the past. Attachment – BANDHA is the root of the word “Bond”. This limits us, clouds our thinking. The solution is: “Detachment from worldly matters through inner silence, the abode of our inner Being." Svaami Himself is supremely detached within and intensely active without, outside. MAMATHVAM, the feeling of desiring objects, is the third reason. The ego-identity is necessary for us to operate in the world. Body – mind – intellect equipment is given to us like a boat, to cross the ocean of SAMSAARA – the worldly suffering. When you have crossed the waters, you leave the boat.
DHEHO DEVAALAYAH PROKTHAH – Body is the temple of God. JEEVO DHEVAH SANAATHANAH – The JEEVAATHMA is the PARABHRAMA. Svaami relates English with Sanskrith and translates AYAM AATHMA BRAHMA as “I AM AATHMA BRAHMA!” I am the Supreme, all pervasive divinity. BRAHMAN is neither near nor far, He is in you. He is You. "You are also an AVATHAAR!" says Baba.
The PURUSHA SUUKTHAM states the THRIPAADH VIBHUUTHI; The entire universe is only His feet. There is so much more that is invisible. The entire PRAKRITHI – Nature is only a small part. God is far beyond. All this cosmos, the millions of galaxies are only a minute particle of the VIRAAT PURUSHA, the cosmic divine person.
We move from the gross to the subtle and then to the subtlest and even beyond, to the realm of Bliss Divine. “Bliss” is the innermost KOSHA – Covering. The process of enquiry into the five sheaths covering our inner Being reveals the essential truth. The ANNAMAYA KOSHA (The physical Sheath) – is the Body complex. It is the grossest sheath. The PRAANAMAYA KOSHA (The Vital Air Sheath) – The PANCHA PRAANAS vitalize and maintain and nourish the body system. The MANOMAYA KOSHA (The Mental sheath) – The process of thoughts and counter thoughts. The VIJNAANAMAYA KOSHA (The Super Intellectual Sheath) – It is the capacity to reason and discriminate. NISCHAYAATHMIKA BUDDHIH – is the Innermost essence. It is the tail of BRAAHMIK consciousness. Bliss is ever expanding Love. “SATH CHITH AANANDHA”.
“AA” – Means Total.
“SATH” – is Delight. AANANDHA is total delight, Bliss.
“CHITH” – Awareness or Consciousness.
Svaami is the “SATH CHITH AANANDHA AVATHAAR”. He is Omniscient - Bliss personified. Develop your consciousness. Body orientation limits you to the small boy. By going deeper, the basis on which you stand is revealed as BLISS, not EMOTION. Svaami says, "I keep telling stories and performing miracles in order for you to enjoy your innermost essence. Do not be lost in the worldly sensory attractions." Go for the UPANISHADHIK essence, the eternal Truth. The absolute Truth; Leave out the DEHAATHMA BHAAVA – “I am the body” feeling. Develop DHEHYAATHMA BHAAVA – the feeling that the I am the indwelling Spirit in the body. Bliss is the stable element in the Body which is the Temple of God. KOHAM? Who am I? NAAHAM DHEHAM – “I am not the body”. SOHAM – “I am GOD”. The body itself experiences SO-HAM, with every breath. The body continues to breathe even in sleep. VAIRAAGYA and ABHYAASA – The practice of detachment is the means for getting out of body consciousness. By leaving the qualities of RAAGA and DHVESHA – likes and dislikes, SAMYOGA and VIYOGA – meeting and separation, we can reach the point of equanimity. ADVAITHA DHARSHANAA JNAANAM – the Vision of Non-duality is true knowing. MOKSHA – Freedom or Liberation, is defined by Svaami as MOHA KSHAYA – The decay of attachment. Liberate yourself from all attachments. Detach from your desires, your bonds. Deflate your ego. Keep your head down. Offer all that you do to the Lord. BHAKTHI is the easiest path, says Svaami. BHAKTHI, PRAPATTHI and SHARANAAGATHI – devotion, deep yearning and complete surrender is the steady and sweet path to reach Divinity.
OM THATH SATH
G. V. Subba Rao, Prasanthi Nilayam, June, 2002