Saturday, April 24, 2010

THE PATH OF THE OBSESSED

Obsession is a way (sAdhana) that can put away error until all that is left is the Truth. This is the way of knowledge, jnana yoga.

The traditional stages from ignorance to enlightenment come naturally to the obsessed. There are three clear steps:

1. First we must hear the truth from a qualified teacher. If one is not available, we learn by reading including the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. We gain an intellectual understanding of the subject. This is called shravaNa.

2. Next we reflect (obsess) on what we have heard or read to remove any doubts we have about the teaching. This is called manana.

3. Last we meditate on the meaning of what we have intellectually understood until there is total conviction. Let it really soak in. This is called nidhidyAsana.

This last step does not add to the teaching but rather in it we dwell upon what we have learned as intensely as possible. This can be done in the following ways. We can repeatedly listen to the teachings and reread the material. Writng as I am doing now is useful. It seems to help make the material my own. Discussion with those who have faith in the teachings is also useful (I have trouble finding them.) Teaching the material to others is good if you can find someone who will listen. Finally, it is good to contemplate on what we have learned in a secluded place, essentially meditating on the Vedantic teaching.

This is the path of jnana yoga, the sAdana of Shankaracharya.
jnana\juh-NAH-nuh\ , noun;
1.Absolute knowledge acquired through meditation and study as a means of reaching (in Hinduism) Brahman; (in Buddhism) a state of awareness independent of conceptual thought.

As the obsessed, we are fortunate to have a running start in this path because it is natural to us.

1 comment:

  1. Using the deep non-dual teachings of A Course in Miracles, this school for Awakening offers a residential program for profound spiritual immersion. “Tabula rasa” means the absence of preconceived ideas or predetermined goals: a clean or blank slate. Inspired by the experience of mystic David Hoffmeister. non dual teachers

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