THE SUPREME
WORSHIP: PERPETUAL MEDITATION Consciousness is attained without
the least effort, and is worshipped by self-realization
alone. And the Self is not realized by any means
other than meditation. Meditating with form such as
upon an object, sound, breath or mental image is both
external and dualistic worship, since there exists
the division of the subject (the one that
meditates) and object (that which is meditated
upon). I shall now declare to you the internal worship of
the Self which is the greatest of all purifiers and which
destroys all darkness completely. This is of the nature of perpetual meditation -
whether one is walking, or standing, whether one is awake or asleep,
in and through all one's actions one should contemplate this
supreme consciousness which is seated in the heart and bring
about, as it were, all the modifications within oneself. This is both internal and non-dualistic worship, since
there is no subject and object division when your
awareness remains aware of awareness, when consciousness remains
conscious of consciousness. This is the supreme meditation, this is the supreme worship: the
continuous and unbroken awareness of the indwelling presence, inner
light or consciousness. While doing whatever one is doing - seeing,
hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving, sleeping, breathing, or
talking - one should realize one's essential nature as pure
consciousness. Thus does one attain liberation. One should worship the bodalingarh (the manifest consciousness
or self-awareness) which sleeps and wakes up, goes
about or stands, touches what is to be touched, abandons what should
be abandoned, enjoys and abandons pleasures, engages in varied external
activities, lends value to all actions and remains as peace in the
vital organs in the body (deha-lingam). This inner intelligence
should be worshipped with whatever comes to one unsought. Remaining firmly seated in the stream of life and its
experiences after having bathed in self-knowledge, one
should worship this inner intelligence with the materials
of self-realization (direct self-awareness of your inner awareness). This worship is performed day and night perpetually, with the
objects that are effortlessly obtained, and are offered to consciousness with
a mind firmly established in equanimity and in the right spirit, for
consciousness being spirit cares only for the right spirit. Consciousness should be worshipped by means of all
enjoyments that the body enjoys, through eating, drinking, being
with one's consort and such other pleasures. Consciousness should
be worshipped with the illnesses one experiences and with every sort
of unhappiness or suffering one experiences. Consciousness should be worshipped with all of one's
activities, including life and death and all of one's dreams.
Consciousness should be worshipped with one's poverty and prosperity. Consciousness should be worshipped even with fights and quarrels
as well as with sports and other pastimes, and with the manifestations
of the emotions of attraction and aversion. Consciousness should
be adored with the noble qualities of a pious
heart - friendship, compassion, joy and indifference. Consciousness should be worshipped with all kinds of
pleasures that are granted to one unsought, whether
those pleasures are sanctioned by the scriptures or forbidden by
them. Consciousness should be worshipped with those that are regarded
as desirable and others that are regarded as undesirable, with those
that are considered appropriate and others that are considered inappropriate. For this worship one should abandon what is lost, and one
should accept and receive what has been obtained without effort. One
should engage oneself in this worship at all times, established in
supreme equanimity in regard to all the percepts, whether
they be pleasant or unpleasant. One should regard everything as good
an auspicious (or one should regard everything as a mixture of good
and evil). Realizing that everything is the one Self (consciousness),
one should worship the Self in this spirit. One should look with equal
vision upon that which is pleasant and beautiful through and
through, and that which is unendurably unpleasant. Thus should one worship the Self. One should abandon the divisive notions of 'This I am' and
'This I am not' and realize that 'All this is indeed Brahman' -
the one indivisible and infinite consciousness. In that spirit
one should worship the Self. At all times, in all forms and their modifications, one
should worship the Self in and through all that one obtains. One
should worship the Self after having abandoned the distinction between
the desirable and the undesirable, or even while relying on such
a distinction (but using them as the materials for the worship). Without craving and without rejecting, that which is effortless
and naturally obtained may be enjoyed. One should not get excited
or depressed when faced with insignificant or significant objects, just
as neither sky nor space is affected by the diverse objects that exist
and grow in it. One should worship the Self without psychological
perversion, with every object that is obtained purely on
account of the coincidence of the time, place and activity - whether
they are popularly known as good or bad. In this procedure for the worship of the Self, whatever
article has been mentioned as being necessary for the worship is
of the same nature as all others (as consciousness), though
the expressions used are different. Equanimity (an equal eye) is sweetness itself and this
sweetness is beyond the senses and the mind. Whateve is touched by
that equanimity instantly becomes sweet, whatever its description or
definition may be. That alone is regarded as worship which is performed
when is in a state of equanimity like that of space, when the mind
has become utterly quiescent without the least movement of thought, when
there is effortless absence of perversity. Established in this state equanimity, the wise man
should experience infinite expansion within himself while
carrying out his natural actions externally without craving or rejection. Such is the
nature of the worshipper of this intelligence (consciousness). In
his case delusion, ignorance and ego-sense do not arise, even in
a dream. Remain in this state, experiencing everything as
a child does. Worship the intelligence (consciousness) that pervades
this body with all that is brought to you by time, circumstances and
environment, and rest in supreme peace, devoid of desire. Whatever
you do and whenever you do it (or refrain from doing it) - all that
is the worship of the Lord who is pure consciousness. By
regarding all that as the worship of the Self, the Self is delighted. Likes and dislikes, attraction and aversion are not
found in the Self independent of its essential nature; they
are mere words. Even the concepts indicated by words like 'sovereignty',
'poverty', 'pleasure', 'pain', 'one's own' and 'others' are in fact
worship of the Self, for this 'conceiving' intelligence is
the Self. Knowledge of the cosmic being (consciousness) alone
is the proper worship of the cosmic being. It is that
Self or cosmic consciousness alone which is indicated by expressions
such as 'this is world.' Oh, what mysterious wonder it is that the Self, which
is pure consciousness or intelligence somehow seems
to forget its own nature and comes to regard itself
as the jiva (individual). In fact, in that cosmic being
which is the reality in everything, there is not even the
division into worshipper, worship and the worshipped. It is impossible to describe that cosmic being who supports
the entire universe without division; it is impossible to teach another
concerning it. And, we do not consider them worthy of being
taught by us who consider that God is limited by time and space. Hence, abandoning all such limited concepts, abandoning
even the division between the worshipper and the worshipped (Lord), worship
the Self by the Self (consciously remain conscious of your
consciousness). Be at peace, pure, free from cravings. Consider
(consciously) that all your experiences and expressions are the worship
of the Self. Thus should one worship the Self at all times through
this perpetual meditation (awareness remaining aware
of awareness). (Concise Yoga Vasistha pg 299 - 301) |