Macrocosmic Grace Brings Bliss Of Knowledge

Sampranata samadhi, concrete meditation, causes the seed of omniscience to ripen. In permanent savikalpa, higher state of samadhi, that is, samprajnata samadhi, the seed assumes vast proportions. In that state, one’s object no longer remains within the limited periphery of the unit mind, but becomes as vast as the Macrocosm. One’s potentiality becomes immeasurable.

By virtue of sadhana, the ungerminated seed ripens and assumes unlimited proportions. Thus elevated, sadhakas, seekers, do not need to acquire knowledge from external sources. The bliss of knowledge spontaneously manifests itself in them due to Macrocosmic grace. This expansion of chitta, feeling/emotion, is only possible in savikalpa samadhi.

A restless chitta can never attain samprajnata samadhi. Jara samadhi is different -- it occurs when the mind becomes so infatuated with a crude material object of ideation, that it takes the form of that object, to the exclusion of all other objects. The goal of samprajnata samadhi may be positive or negative, crude or subtle psychic pabulum.

The goal of asamprajnata samadhi, like nirbija, is neither nirbija asamprajnata, without seed, nor sabija asamprajiṋata, with seed, but is an intermediary stage.

Samprajnata samadhi has four stages. The first is savitarka, attained when the mind is concentrated on worldly objects such as one’s children, relations or wealth. It is synonymous with jara samadhi. Negative savitarka samadhi occurs when one keeps one’s mind aloof from the thought of family or material wealth. The desire or nondesire for crude pabulum amounts to the same thing as far as the chitta is concerned.

The second stage is savichara samadhi; it occurs not when the chitta is engaged in crude psychic pabulum, but when it becomes fully concentrated in the mad pursuit of more subtle pabula such as name and fame. If the chitta wants to free itself from these things, one attains negative savichara samadhi.

The third stage is called sananda samadhi; chitta only has one psychic pabulum – the feeling of bliss. This samadhi also has a negative counterpart which occurs when the only psychic pabulum is “I am not enjoying bliss.”

The fourth stage of samprajnata samadhi is called sasmita samadhi when the unit cognitive faculty has only one object – asmita, the “i” feeling. When this i feeling disappears leaving a subtler, singular flow of consciousness, it is called asamprajinata samadhi. In asamprajnata samadhi there only remains the cognitive faculty (Purusa). When all other objects or factors disappear and only cognitive faculty exists, it is called purushakhyati.

The way to attain purushakhyati is to maintain the ideation that purusha is my subject and I am His object, and thus to return to ones original source with complete self-surrender. Purushakhyati is only attainable through the practice of Ishvarapranidhana.Pranidhana is devotion attained through japakriya or repetition of ones ishta mantra. Thus Ishvara pranidhana is the incantation of the name of the Supreme Being with cosmic ideation. Ishvara pranidhana is a dynamic spiritual practice through which one can reach the state of asamprajnata samadhi, yet for this attainment dhyana is actually more effective.

Only Saguna Brahmn and Taraka Brahmn can shower grace. Those unit beings who have liberated themselves from bondage will remain liberated. They become one with Saguna Brahmn and are thus called great personalities or Mahapurusha. Only they have the right to shower grace. The practice of sadhana for the attainment of samadhi is the way to progress along the path of spiritual vigour. There is no room for escapism on this spiritual march.