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Upadesa Sara

Sloka 14

Means to Reach These States

The absorption of the mind by pranayama was earlier explained. The method of Yoga by which the problematic mind is destroyed (manonasa) is now elaborated upon.

prana-bandhanal-lina-manasam,
eka-cintanam-nasam-etyadah.

prana-bandhanal – by the restraint of the vital airs; lina-manasam – the mind gets absorbed; eka-cintanam – by contemplation of that One; nasam – goes to destruction; etyadah – this (absorbed mind);

This mind that gets absorbed by the restraint of the pranas gets destroyed by contemplation on that One (Reality).

Initially, by the method of pranayama or the observation of the breath, the mind is relatively quietened. When a quiet mind contemplates on the Reality, its own ignorance is destroyed. Here ‘One Truth’ does not mean contemplation on one of the innumerable objects of the world. Through our own direct experience, we know that brooding over objects results ultimately in sorrow and creates agitation in the mind. This is because our mind starts thinking about the qualities of the object and creates likes and dislikes, desires and aversions for the object. Also thinking about any object can be done only by maintaining the duality of the thinker and the object of the thought. Such thinking can result in an absorbed state of the mind but not in its destruction.

Contemplation on ‘One’ means that ‘One’, which does not become two, which is One without a second, which is the common denominator in all the apparent dualities and because of which alone, all objects gain existence. Now, objects outside our body are many, like a book, table, chair, and so on. Also, our body itself changes constantly, our mind has innumerable thoughts and the ideals that the intellect cherishes are many. But the knower of all these manifold objects, changes of the body, emotions, and thoughts is the one common illuminator, ‘I’, the Self. This Knowledge Principle or Knower remains the same. It neither changes to become another ‘I’ nor does it cease to be when the thoughts change or cease to be. Without ‘I’, the Pure Consciousness, no thoughts exist. For such contemplation a relatively quiet mind is necessary. Thereafter, the contemplation on the thought ‘I am pure Consciousness’ destroys the ignorance due to which the person considers himself as a sorrowful limited being.

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