The spiritual path begins when we become aware of ourselves more broadly, become aware of this life, ask questions about the meaning of life, observe life, analyze it, draw conclusions, generalize, and do analytical work. And it is very important what conclusions exactly we draw from observation, reflection, analysis, and generalization. Because conclusions can be different.
For example, we can observe, analyze life, generalize, and make a decision: “I don’t have enough money; I need to become wealthier.” Or we can conclude: “My relationships aren’t working out; I need to build proper relationships.” Or perhaps we observe life and see that in this life influential people succeed—those who have power, authority, a name, fame, political weight—and we decide: “I need to become influential, more influential. I don’t have many connections. And if I have connections, perhaps this will help me advance in life; the social elevator will open.”
And many people draw exactly these conclusions while observing and analyzing life. Sometimes people observe life, analyze it, generalize, and make decisions: “You only live once, why strain yourself? Maybe it’s better for me to live for my own pleasure, go surfing somewhere, travel. Eat delicious food, enjoy the simple things in life.” All of these are different conclusions.
These are different conclusions that we draw from observing life. Decisions are made on the basis of conclusions. On the basis of conclusions and decisions, a transfer takes place onto one or another branch of destiny. And it is very important for us to observe life, analyze life, generalize, and draw such conclusions that they help us be happy.
And this is not about a small happiness, but about a broader happiness. Because all living beings want to be happy, but not everyone understands exactly how. Childhood notions, upbringing, social patterns, social ideas, education, the scientific paradigm—all of this has shaped us. And also ancestral karma, which we have, the DNA of our ancestors in our bones as well.
And in general, it is said that the brain and the body, over years of evolution, were intended for passing information on to the next generations and for survival. That is, roughly speaking, our brain and our bodies are not very interested in our happiness as individuals. They are interested in the evolutionary task laid down by divine beings unknown to us. Procreation and survival—that is what they are more intended for.
It is not surprising that when we want to move toward liberation, our body seems to say to us: “But I wasn’t planning to.” We have to pack it into asanas, restrain it through pranayamas, through its energy. And our brain also says: “Why do I need liberation? I’m interested in watching videos on YouTube, staring at something. You need liberation, so you practice.”
That is, we see that our most elevated intentions are being sabotaged by our lower nature, by our body, by our brain. The mind is also like an operating system; it still has to be convinced. If it has many other convictions, it too will perceive everything with distrust and skepticism.
And only a very subtle element within us—the voice of reason, of subtle understanding, the voice of intuition, what in Vedanta is called buddhi, spiritual reason, spiritual intellect—only it tries to shout through to the rest of our parts, saying: “Think, practice, purify yourself, develop.”
That is, we are ambiguous beings, in whom there are higher parts and there are lower parts. And the voice of the Higher Self, the voice of the Atman, is so quiet that we almost do not perceive it. That is, it is inside us as a striving for spiritual search, as a striving for freedom, for happiness, as an innate striving. But it is so quiet that it is often drowned out by social patterns, ideologies, the notions of the mind, upbringing, and so on.
And what conclusions we draw while observing reality, generalizing reality, is very important, because to draw the wrong conclusions is to take the wrong road; to take the wrong road is to move away from your happiness, from your freedom.
It is as if you are driving a car, analyzing the navigator’s data, and thinking: “My destination is over there, so I need to go right, I need to plot the course there.” These are your conclusions. You drew conclusions, plotted a route, but that place may not be there. And why not there? Because the conclusions were wrong. And why were the conclusions wrong? There was a lack of data, an incomplete picture. Maybe the navigator was turned off at that moment, there was no internet. There was not enough data for analysis, for making decisions, or there was not enough time.
This happens: we are often driving, wanting to get somewhere, and the navigator, even with all its technical capabilities, has directed us somewhere completely wrong. And we missed the turn, and now we have to drive 20 kilometers to the next U-turn.
And this also happens with life. We turned somewhere in the wrong direction, missed a favorable moment, and now we have to wait about 20 years until an auspicious moment opens up. Or perhaps we have missed an entire lifetime altogether, and we have to wait for the next life until an auspicious moment opens up to come into awareness again and go toward God.
It is very important what decisions we make as we observe life and analyze it.
Four Awarenesses
The sacred texts offer us four themes in order to supplement and clarify our picture of the world. And this is called the “Four Awarenesses.”
The First Awareness: Impermanence
The first theme offered is to reflect on impermanence. Is this world impermanent? There should be no illusions. We live in a changing world. It is constantly transforming, and we are transforming, the world is transforming. For example, many of those sitting here were born in the USSR. Now the USSR does not even exist anymore. Many were born in peacetime; now it is not very peaceful at all. When we were born, we were very small; now some of us are already elderly people.
That is, the flow of time, the flow of transformation. And impermanence says: do not hope to grasp some kind of permanence in this world, but develop your flexibility and expand your consciousness in order to see something greater behind this impermanence.
Impermanence means that we should not think narrowly in the categories of this life, only this life. That is, this life is certainly important, but everything does not end with it. And if we look more broadly, this life has a preceding life, there are very many of them, and there are future lives. Their life, the great life, is this entire conglomerate of lives.
We are living one of our many lives. One. And compared with infinity, it is a fragment. As if there were a stroboscope and a moving figure. And a snapshot was taken. On the stroboscope the figure is moving; the snapshot shows its current state. And before that there were many snapshots, and after it there will be many. And so “one life” is one snapshot of the current state. And there are very many of these snapshots; all of them are lives.
And the great life in Sanatana Dharma is not one of our lives, as a body in this world of the embodied, but something very great, practically infinite. It is all our lives, the previous life and all our future life; everything is one life. Sometimes we are born in a body, in the world of people, in the form of a human being; sometimes in other bodies; sometimes we abide as formless space; sometimes as animals; sometimes as gods; sometimes as Naga beings; sometimes as some mythical magical beings described in Sanatana Dharma, which also exist—Kinnaras, Gandharvas, Vidyadharas; sometimes as immortal cosmic spirits. And sometimes as emptiness itself during the destruction of the Universe, but we always exist.
And this is our great life. And our present physical life is one fragment, some point on a great line, in a great flow. And when we reflect from the standpoint of such broad positions, then our conclusions can be deeper. This is what impermanence leads us to.
The Multidimensionality of Being
The principle of impermanence indicates that we live not only in the physical world. For example, after the death of the physical body we continue to live; we do not die as spirit, as soul. But we no longer live entirely in the physical world; we live in the subtle world. In the subtle world there are many regions; there are also entire cities there, there are also living beings there with their own interests, and it too is full of life. But subtle worlds are different: there are pure, heavenly ones, and there are lower worlds, harsh, demonic, asuric.
The Vedic tradition presents 14 main worlds, and when they are subdivided, they can be detailed very extensively. This is all the great Universe. Not only our physical universe, which is located in the middle, the seventh world, Bhurloka. And if upward, then these worlds are called Bhuvarloka, Svargaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapaloka, Satyaloka.
All these worlds are also real, together with the beings, but the physics there is different, time flows differently. There is another level of subjectivity. The mind works differently, self-identity is felt differently, but they also exist. Some are similar to dreams, to dream visions. And the lower worlds as well, seven worlds below. Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, Patala.
We live in a great world, in an enormous world that includes many worlds, both above and below, and in great time, which includes many lives. And our embodiment in this life, in this body, is simply a fragment. And this is such a broader view.
Understanding the factor of impermanence—the fact that we constantly wander through worlds, through bodies, moving back and forth—should awaken conclusions in us. Where should I wander? Should I be reborn at all, or not? And if I am to be reborn, then as whom and where? Right now I have been carried into the world of humans. It seems to be a normal world, but not really, so-so. There are better ones, of course. For example, the avatar: the batteries last only 80 years. The body. And some gods live for 10 thousand years. And gods in general are immortal.
That is, in the higher heavenly worlds one can feed on prana: merely imagine it mentally, and you are full. Or desires are fulfilled by the power of thought. That is, there are better worlds. But there are also worse ones. There are worlds where food cannot be found at all: the belly is swollen, the throat is small, the eyes are bulging, the appearance is ugly. They fight over food, but obtaining food is extremely difficult. The worlds of lower spirits, pretas, and the worlds of animals are again before our eyes.
And we analyze this impermanence, and what qualities need to be accumulated, where we need to charge our subconscious, what vector to create in order to be happier, more free. All of this is about impermanence.
And here our will is developed, because without will the spiritual path is difficult. Will must accumulate within us and make a decision. We must analyze everything, generalize, draw conclusions, but conclusions without will are also fruitless.
One can draw many conclusions, and wonderful conclusions, but if this will does not perceive them within us and accept them as its own goals and tasks, these conclusions will be, as they say, put into a folder in a desk and will lie there until the next life. And we must pass these conclusions on to our own will; that is, our will must seriously perceive them as a guide to action.
The Second Awareness: the Law of Karma
And impermanence, the law of karma, and the next topic for awareness is that in this world there is a hierarchy of energies and qualities, and we are constantly accumulating certain qualities and wasting others.
Our thoughts determine our destiny, and our thoughts depend on many factors: on actions, motives, on the imprints of past lives, on the influence of people on us, on the influence of karma on us.
And our thoughts have a very strong influence on our reality. That is why they say: if you want to understand who you were in past lives, look at yourself in this life. That is, if we are here, then we were good enough people in past lives to listen to the dharma, to receive an auspicious body, but not good enough to become gods, for example, immortal mahasiddhas in rainbow bodies. That is, we were good enough, but not that good.
This too should lead to reflection, because there is a continuous law of karma. The law of karma can be likened to an omnipresent intelligence, like artificial intelligence today, but this is divine intelligence, which is embedded and calculates all our actions, always analyzing our thoughts and deeds, and from which there is no escape.
The law of karma means that everything we think, everything we do, think about, intend to do—all of it affects our destiny. And our destiny is constantly being recalculated. The good news is that we can influence our destiny in this way if we begin to think with great concentration, gather ourselves, and begin to think in one direction.
Awareness of the law of karma means becoming very attentive. If you are attentive, you begin to understand many things. For example, you performed a homa, received a blessing, and the blessing added certain qualities to you. If you are attentive, you may even understand which qualities were added. Perhaps your memory improved by 0.01%, or your luck improved by one tenth of a percent. This is the result of a mantra recited into the fire, of a homa, a puja, certain offerings.
And then you went on, and your luck improved by one tenth of a percent. That is, another thousand times like that, and your luck will increase to one hundred percent. But after the homa you went and quarreled with someone. And immediately a recalculation took place. If one imagines it mentally, it is as if a window popped up on a computer screen. The merit from performing the homa has been deducted from you for unsuccessful communication, for quarrelling. That is all. This is how the law of karma works in our life.
We constantly accumulate something good, but we also lose something good. Therefore, it is considered best to dedicate all merits to some boundless, divine, exalted things, so that they are not lost anywhere. As soon as we have accumulated some merit, we say: I immediately transfer this merit to the account of liberation, the enlightenment of all living beings, or to the account of Brahman. And then it may not go anywhere; it may be preserved. Therefore, there is a method of dedicating merit. Thus, the law of karma means that we must determine how to act so that the law of karma is fully understood and works favorably for us.
Question: And if some relative sankalpas are elevated into an infinite context, are they also right?
Yes.
That is, such merit, in theory, is not lost according to the technology if it is dedicated in this way?
In theory, yes. But your ego is no longer present in this merit.
So, to realize the law of karma means to understand which causes and effects I need to accumulate, and which causes and effects pull me down and must be abandoned. We constantly accumulate certain good causes and effects if we act from the right states, with good aims and good motives, and our actions are directed toward exalted subjects.
And we accumulate some neutral karma if we act with neutral motives in relation to neutral objects and neutral actions. And we constantly accumulate some negative karma if we act from negative motives and bind ourselves to negative objects or subjects.
When we develop an understanding of the law of karma, we become very attentive. It is similar to how a businessman knows how to count money. A good businessman calculates well, and seeks out and invests his funds only in those projects that bring profit. If you suggest to him, invest 100 thousand dollars somewhere in some useless thing, he will look at you as if you are crazy. He will say: “What, do you not understand anything at all? Where are you suggesting I invest?” It is the same with merits.
If you understand the law of karma and someone offers you to invest your attention in some dubious things. You say: “Do you not understand at all why I should invest there?” You avoid everything that can take away your merit.
And then your ethics, your rules, your vows, they are natural; no rules are needed if you understand this. If you do not understand, then you need rules, ethics. They help you not to make mistakes even if you do not understand the law of karma. If you understand the law of karma, you naturally follow rules, ethics, and so on. For example, someone suggests to you: let’s go eat meat. Why? To participate in the killing of a living being, to write off merits from yourself. Why? There is no point. It is better to replace it with something else.
Accumulating Merits and Avoiding Negative Karma
A sadhu who has realized the law of karma avoids spending his merits without need. Secondly, he becomes, in a good sense, greedy for accumulating merits. That is, he always wants to enrich his merits, improve his karma, understanding that this will help him. He is not indifferent to the law of karma. If there is some opportunity to accumulate merits, he accumulates them.
It is similar to how a treasure hunter is not indifferent to treasures. If there is an opportunity to find a treasure, he will find it. Or if there is some book lover, and there is an opportunity to find a good book, he will find it. Likewise, if there is an opportunity to find something valuable in merits, such a person will find a way to accumulate merits.
To live while avoiding negative karma and accumulating merits is the way of thinking of a sadhu, if you have comprehended the law of karma. If you have comprehended the law of karma, you do not perform any unnecessary actions. You understand that all of this, from the point of view of karma, is inexpedient; all of this is useless. You no longer follow the impulses of your ego, your motives, your desires. You act clearly, based on an understanding of the balance of merits and sins, that is, positive karma and negative karma.
Sometimes you are even ready to undergo certain inconveniences in order to improve the balance of your karma. How do we usually live? I live so that things are convenient for me, so that I am comfortable, so that others love and respect me. But sometimes we may act in such a way that the balance of our karma worsens.
And sometimes we may act in such a way that the balance of our karma improves. And one who has realized the law of karma thinks like this: I live so that I have many merits on the balance of merits. And convenience can be relegated to the background. And so a yogin is one who strives to accumulate merits even at the cost of inconvenience.
Misconceptions About Desires and Modern Culture
Sometimes we think: I live so that my desires may be fulfilled. But a yogin says that sometimes the fulfillment of desires is not always favorable. And the purpose of our life is not to chase after the fulfillment of our desires.
These are enormous misconceptions instilled by material nature, and the modern information environment only fuels this, as if one must try with all one’s might, at any cost, to fulfill one’s desires. But why did someone decide that? After all, desires can be different, and not all desires are favorable. Some desires need to be restrained. And, on the contrary, there are desires we do not even know about, for example, the desire for liberation. Such desires, on the contrary, should be encouraged.
But modern consumer culture turns a person strongly in the wrong direction. Certain patterns, certain stereotypes are imposed, and one is invited to spend one’s whole life satisfying these patterns and stereotypes. Reflection on the law of karma gives us insight in the sense that what we need is not the satisfaction of desires. What we need are good causes, consequences for the future of life and in this life. We need merits. We need not comfort, convenience, and money, but merits that will allow us to elevate our consciousness. And if consciousness is elevated, then everything else, by default, naturally, will also be there.
If we reflect on the law of karma, we become more attentive. For example, we begin to understand: worship of deities, saints, being in the company of sadhus—this is what accumulates merit. Association in a company that is unsuitable can take away merit. Service to God, dharma, sangha, and saints is what accumulates merit. Service to various social things gives the karma of social things. Service to one’s ego gives the karma of one’s ego.
Awareness of Suffering in Samsara
Next after the law of karma is the awareness of suffering in samsara. Suffering exists, it is near, it always walks beside us. Even if we are successful, happy, healthy, and wealthy, suffering breathes down everyone’s neck. But some experience suffering, while others do not. Because their merits allow them not to experience suffering. But only until their merits run out. Or until they make a mistake. If they make a mistake, suffering touches them as well. That is, if we choose the vector of life incorrectly, suffering is inevitable.
We part with property, with relatives, friends, loved ones, with our goals, plans, wealth, with everything. Others dispose of the property. Others communicate with our loved ones; they live their own lives. And our goals and tasks simply disappear, because at the moment of death we no longer live in this world. And this brings suffering if we are attached to all this, if we identify ourselves with all this.
And why are we identified with it? Because we believed that these are precisely our goals and our tasks. We believed it so blindly, without considering any alternative. And when we identify with anything, it is impermanent, it is destroyed, and this causes suffering. And very often modern culture has offered the image of such an advanced, educated, successful, creative person who needs only success and who must strive to be successful, wealthy, influential, fly all over the world, enjoy surfing, paragliding, make their first million while young. Such a stereotype of superficial human happiness. And then suddenly—this stereotype began to collapse. Because such superficial things are short-lived; they do not withstand the test of time. Naturally, suffering follows when they collapse.
Awareness of the law of suffering is a serious practice. Monks in many traditions, in order to realize it and to realize impermanence, go to morgues, meditate in cemeteries, at shmashans or in homes for the elderly, observe and draw conclusions. This is an entire serious analytical meditation: suffering and the law of karma are not merely philosophical things—we only comprehend them philosophically—but they are matters of life. And they exist so that we may change and draw serious conclusions.
Awareness of suffering means drawing more than serious conclusions. We draw conclusions: I want to practice in such a way, to develop in such a way, that I may be free even in the future from the slightest suffering. I strive to attain liberation. Is it not possible to attain liberation from all these sufferings?
A great many people had goals, had desires; a great many people set ambitious goals. Do you think we are the only ones like that now? In the 19th century, and in the 20th, there were many people, and in the 16th, and in previous centuries. And many were also intelligent, strong, creative, ambitious. Some were kings, others politicians, still others outstanding scientists, intellectuals, artists. But now nothing remains of them. Only, perhaps, a couple of lines in an encyclopedia about the most outstanding among them. And about the rest we know nothing at all. And nothing remains of their goals and ambitions either. They have simply become ashes. They have become souls, they have been reborn somewhere, and they are living a completely different life, and they do not even remember this life.
Understanding suffering helps us develop the will to derive the maximum benefit from this life. And how, the saints say, can one derive the maximum benefit from this life? One must develop one’s awareness in such a way as to realize the Absolute of Brahman within oneself, in order to attain liberation. There is no other way. In order to transcend the karma in which you now find yourself.
The Preciousness of Human Birth
And from this we come to the precious human birth. That this birth is truly precious, because it is precious for only one reason; there are no other reasons at all.
For example, we may think it is precious because there are modern technologies, the internet, computers, artificial intelligence, virtual worlds—it is all so wonderful. And people used to be ignorant, in the 17th century, with science and medicine as they were, while we have a precious birth. No, that is nonsense. It is not precious for that reason. Or one might think it is precious because I was born into a good family, with good means, with educated parents. All of this is only a contributing factor; birth is truly precious only if all these factors have led us to an encounter with the liberating Dharma.
If we have the opportunity to practice the Dharma, to walk the path of liberation, that is what makes our life precious. Or sometimes people think it is precious because I have a good family, good relationships, I live in good ecological conditions. In the past people lived this way or that... Ten children in one family, and not all survived. Life expectancy was 40 years. All of this is only accompanying factors; it does not make our life precious.
But to encounter it, to have the opportunity to practice the Dharma, to meet, to listen to the Dharma, to communicate with sadhus, to study the teachings, to worship deities, to study the methods of the teaching—that is what makes our life precious.
The Necessity of Clear Conclusions
Based on these realizations of impermanence, the law of karma, the preciousness of human birth, the suffering of samsara, and the awareness of the uniqueness of precious human birth, this should give us the opportunity to observe all of it, analyze it, summarize it all somehow briefly in concise slogans, terms, or memes for ourselves, in certain conclusions, to draw certain conclusions for ourselves—very brief, very understandable, unambiguous conclusions. There can be no ambiguity here.
For example, if you know that you need to go to Kailash, then that means to Kailash, not to Damodarkund. You cannot say: “Maybe to Kailash, maybe to Damodarkund.” If a traveler says this: “Where are you going with your backpack, looking so serious? Where are you going?” “Well, maybe to Kailash, maybe to Damodarkund, we’ll see.” That is not a serious approach.
That is, when you have decided to go somewhere, to the mountains, you must have a very clear route, a very clear intention. You cannot say: “Well, maybe toward liberation, maybe toward success in this life, somewhere like that.” That means nowhere. Such sankalpas do not work. That is, the conclusions must be precise, clear, unambiguous, understandable, and clearly formulated for ourselves.
Because conclusions are meant for actually moving forward; they are not meant for boasting to friends or demonstrating one’s intellect. They are meant for making choices. It is like when you have decided to have a child. “Well, maybe we decided, maybe we didn’t.” You decided to recover. “Well, maybe not recover, maybe recover.” Very clear, unambiguous conclusions allow us to move further.
If conclusions have not been drawn, the practice will not work. Have you decided to move toward liberation? “Well, maybe toward liberation, maybe toward success in this life.” Then it will not work. Conclusions imply that we engage our will, intention, determination and begin to move at an accelerated pace, to move with ascetic discipline, with tapas, with practice, seriously.
The Impossibility of Combining the Spiritual and the Material
Often, when we do not draw such clear, definite conclusions, we try to combine the spiritual and the material. We simply add: here on my list are growth, flourishing, success, wealth, a good partner, personal relationships, and we add a third item — liberation. That is, it is on our list. There will be no liberation with such an attitude. One must forget it.
It is impossible to combine the path of liberation and the material path on the same level. It is impossible. Spiritual life and material life cannot be combined in this way. But if we place God, the path of liberation, first, and subordinate everything else to it, then this is more realistic. And then the material will be subordinated to our spiritual choice of liberation. And it will not develop worse; perhaps it will develop even better, only our motives will be completely different. Such is the paradox.
One who subordinates everything to God, subordinates everything to the path of liberation and the path of service, may even feel better materially than one who tries to combine the spiritual and the material. Because combining the spiritual and the material is an attempt at compromise, 50-50. But subordinating the material to the spiritual is something entirely different. It means that I act only from spiritual motives. And my material life is subordinated to my spiritual motives. But, if I wish, it does not suffer any loss. Yet I am not attached to it. My motives are different.
Mumukshutva — the Will to Liberation
The correct conclusions from all these analytical meditations are mumukshutva, the intention to attain liberation, moksha. And Sri Adi Shankaracharya, in the text “Viveka-Chudamani,” says that one of the qualities of a student of Advaita is mumukshutva. Mumukshutva means the will that leads us along the path of liberation. Our will to liberation, the will to freedom, to freedom from ignorance and samsara.
The development of such a will is the initial thing to which a yogin should devote time. If the will to liberation has been developed, then you will follow the spiritual path no matter what, and nothing will trouble you, nothing will throw you off; you will have neither doubts nor problems. Simply, when you express will, any will. If this will is strong, total, and all-consuming, what does it always do?
Question: It conquers, subordinates everything to itself.
It conquers, subordinates everything to itself. Warmer.
Question: It bends reality.
It bends reality, yes. If you express a strong will toward something, the will divides your world into two parts: that which supports this will, and that which obstructs it. But the world becomes simpler. We are not talking about an egoistic will for the sake of fulfilling desires. That is another topic. We are speaking specifically about spiritual will. The will to liberation.
If this will is strong, look, you have a list. These things help, these things hinder. And what is the optimal path? Those that hinder should be reduced as much as possible. Those that help should be increased as much as possible. And all of this is called mumukshutva.
Qualities of a Student of Advaita Vedanta
The cultivation of mumukshutva in the tradition of the Shankaracharya Dashanami Order, the Order of the Ten Names, is described in the text “Viveka-Chudamani.” And it says that this is a necessary adhikara, qualification for a student studying Vedanta, Advaita Vedanta; one of the qualities is mumukshutva. Even if a person knows Sanskrit and knows philosophy, but does not have mumukshutva, it is considered that he is not ready to read the texts of Advaita Vedanta. He is an unsuitable vessel, an unsuitable candidate for studying Advaita Vedanta.
In addition to this, of course, one must cultivate viveka — discrimination, vairagya — detachment. And the sixfold qualities of sattva, called shama, dama, uparati, titiksha, shraddha, samadhana:
- The ability to control the mind, pacification of the mind, calmness, serenity — shama
- The ability to discipline the senses, to subordinate the senses to one’s will — dama
- The ability to detach from desires — uparati
- The ability to be patient — titiksha
- Faith in everything connected with dharma, God, the guru, the guru-parampara, the chosen deity, one’s Self. All of this is encompassed by the capacious term — shraddha
- Meditative stability — samadhana
All these are preliminary practices that allow us to forge our personality as a sadhu. And according to tradition, forging such a personality as a sadhu was prescribed for 12 years. Because one who possesses all these qualities, all this adhikara, this qualification, can enter the path of liberation. Therefore we have a school of sannyasa, which prepares sannyasis over the course of 12 years. Or a correspondence school, which prepares karma-sannyasis, grihasthas who have chosen the path of moksha. Also 12 years, but in the world.
Cultivating such qualities transforms us from worldly people seeking the benefits of this world, seeking worldly goals. It turns us into sadhus, sadhus ready to follow the path of moksha. The next process begins. We have already prepared ourselves, we have understood everything, we have developed mumukshutva, the will for liberation, but now, where exactly should we go, and what exactly should we do?
Refuge and Guru Yoga
Here a guide is needed, a guru is needed. And the next stage is understanding refuge and understanding guru yoga. That is, we first need to take refuge in something. And in this refuge we need a guide in order to understand exactly where to go and what to do.
Refuge means that we now decide to direct our mind toward holy beings, toward holy objects. We retune the lines of force of our subconscious toward connection with very subtle divine beings, ideally with God, ashraya — Refuge; sharanam means that we learn to rely on the chosen deity, on the guru, on the guru-parampara, on the pantheon of gods, the pantheon of saints, on the dharma, on the sangha. And we do this not formally, but in a magical sense. In magic there are no formal things. Do you know this? That is, one may philosophize, but a magician knows what he is doing, why, and what result he wants to obtain. This is not a question of philosophy.
Refuge is a magical principle. It is an energy on which we rely and which truly protects us, blesses us, and with which we always interact. This is Refuge. Therefore, one who takes Refuge always has such an interface before his eyes: the Refuge tree, the visualization of deities, saints, the guru-parampara, which he can invoke at any moment and with which he communicates interactively. He can perform pujas, homas, visualizations, and recite mantras.
Constant Interaction with Refuge
Refuge is also taken in order to always interact with it. For example, you get up in the morning, recite Pancharad na pranam, interact with the five aspects of Refuge, then during the day recite the mantras of ascent through the Refuge tree, also visualizing the saints of Refuge one by one and reciting a mantra to each.
You perform guru yoga with om, visualize the Refuge, and invoke their blessing. That is, Refuge is something with which one must be in constant contact. Worship the chosen deity, single out the central figure of the Refuge tree, venerate the guru-parampara, and single out the saints of Refuge.
Worship Shiva, and you single out the essence of the entire Refuge. Worship the goddesses, and you single out other aspects of Refuge connected with shakti.
Finding One’s Place in the Lineage
Refuge gives us a new destiny. In the end, we find our place and our role in Refuge. How should it be ideally? We took Refuge, with the help of the guru attained enlightenment, and in the Refuge tree also took a certain place for future generations, becoming a link in the chain of this Refuge, an enlightened link.
That is, you look at the Refuge and read the names, beginning with Shiva. Then such-and-such a deity, such-and-such a deity, then... This is called the divine part of Refuge — Divyanga.
Then you look at the siddhas. Such-and-such a siddha, such-and-such a siddha. This is called siddhanga. And then you read the earthly saints and teachers. Such-and-such a saint, such-and-such a guru, such-and-such a master. This is called manushya. The human part of Refuge. And then, at the bottom, you look, and you are written there. Such-and-such a saint attained Refuge in this lineage.
That is, to enter the lineage, attain holiness, and become a certain link in this holy lineage for future generations, and to become liberated. To become a protector of future generations on the path of liberation, because one is free oneself, because one has also attained enlightenment. This is the meaning of Refuge. We become included in a great lineage of many very ancient links. And we also have the opportunity to become a saint in this link of Refuge.
Refuge enriches our qualities and protects us if we constantly stand before the Refuge tree. And therefore it is very important to establish the right attitude toward Refuge. This is an attitude of veneration, worship, praise, offering, service, pure vision, and reverence. Then Refuge can bless us, because it is in itself a source of blessings. That is, Refuge is all the gods and saints gathered before the mind’s eye, radiating and bestowing blessing powers.
The Guru Principle in Refuge
And finally, when we have understood Refuge and taken Refuge, within this Refuge there is the Guru principle. The Guru is the guide within the Refuge tree; it is the very point of the Refuge tree at this present moment, through which Refuge manifests. That is, through the eyes of the Guru the entire Refuge looks. Or through the tongue of the Guru the entire Refuge speaks with you, including the dharma and the sangha.
And then, after Refuge, comes the principle of the Guru. And when we speak of the principle of the Guru, there is the quality of the Guru and the quality of the disciple; in particular, the disciple must be free from three flaws, that is, be an empty vessel, a clean vessel, and not an overfilled vessel, also a whole vessel, not a leaky one. This is the quality of the disciple. Among the many qualities of the Guru, the main ones are shrotriya — to know the shastras, the teachings, and brahmanishtha — to be oneself firmly established in Brahman, that is, to realize jnana, the knowledge of Brahman.
Therefore it is said: saints know Brahman, and people know saints. Through this, they too partake of Brahman.
"Shri Guru Gita" — a sacred text on the principle of the Guru
Thus, we will discuss guru yoga on the basis of the text "Shri Guru Gita." "Shri Guru Gita" is a text from the "Skanda Purana"; it consists of 182 shlokas. It is a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati, where Shiva explains the principle of the Guru and explains its importance for attaining liberation. The author of this text is the sage Vyasa. And the text is part of the "Skanda Purana."
"Om Shri Ganeshaya Namaha, Shri Sarasvati Namaha, Shri Gurubhyo Namaha, Shri Guru Gita Parambhah. Om Asya Shri Guru Gita Stotra Mantrasya, Bhagavan Sadashiva Rishi him."
Lord Sadashiva is the seer of the mantra of this hymn, the "Shri Guru Gita."
"Nanavidhani chandamsi, Shri guru Paramatma devata."
The deity of this hymn is the Guru; he is its Deity.
"Ham Bijam Sa Shakti Khrom Kilakam, Shri Guru Prasada Sidhyarthe Jape Vinyoga"
Ham is the essential bija, the syllable of the "Shri Guru Gita." Sa is the shakti, the power of this hymn. The bija krom is the core of this mantra, which holds and seals it. And the purpose of its repetition is to receive grace through guru yoga, to learn guru yoga.
Meditation on the Guru
Now, meditation. The Guru, abiding in the lotus surrounded by the divine petals "Ham" and "Sa," inherent in all beings and being the cause of the universe, manifested the world in his own way and by his own free will.
Meditate on the Guru who reveals That, abiding in the state of Shambhava (the state of Shiva), illuminating like the flame of a lamp, the Eternal and Omnipresent Guru, Who is the visible image of all scriptures.
I repeat the "Guru Gita" in order to know the four aims of life — dharma (righteousness), artha (prosperity), kama (pleasure), moksha (liberation).
The Dialogue of Shiva and Parvati
Suta says:
On the beautiful summit of Mount Kailasa, Parvati, respectfully bowing before Lord Shiva, the master who reunites with the divine, asked:
The Goddess says:
“Om, I greet You, O Lord, O Lord of the Gods, O Highest of the Highest, O Teacher of the Universe, O Blessed and Merciful One, O Great God, initiate me into the knowledge of the Guru.”
“O Lord! By what path can the embodied soul become one with Brahman, the absolute reality? Have mercy on me, O Lord! I bow at Your feet.”
The Lord answers:
"O Goddess! You are my true Supreme Self. Out of love for You I will tell you this. No one has even asked this question before, and yet this is a gift to all humanity. This knowledge is difficult to obtain in the three worlds. Listen, I will reveal it to you.
Brahman is none other than the Guru. O beautiful one! This is the truth. This is the truth. The Vedas, the ancient sacred scriptures, the shastras, religious books, the Puranas — ancient legends, historical chronicles and other scriptures, the knowledge of mantra, yantra, mystical diagrams, and so on.
Smriti — the traditional code of laws. Magical incantations and the like, Shaiva, Shakta treatises and other scriptures bring only destruction in this world to those whose minds have been deluded. Foolish are those people who immerse themselves in sacred rites, prayers, penances, japa, charity, and make pilgrimages to holy places without understanding the principle of the Guru. The Guru is not different from the consciousness of the Supreme Self."
Spiritual Search with a Guru and without a Guru
So, there is spiritual search without a guru and spiritual search with a guru. And Shiva states unequivocally that spiritual search can exist. Visiting places of pilgrimage, sadhanas, magical rituals — all of this is good. But if you do not have a guru, it can lead to great illusion, to great delusion.
If you study Advaita but do not have guru yoga, Advaita can become a great delusion. If you do sadhana: mantras, pranayamas, pujas, but do not have guru yoga, this too can become a great delusion. The modern Western interpretation does not attach importance to this. And we have different approaches to Advaita Vedanta. But the tradition of Sanatana Dharma states unequivocally: mumukshutva—the striving for liberation, then guru yoga, and then sadhana. If it is in this order, then everything will be fine.
The Algorithm of the Guru Yoga Path
So, what is the algorithm on this path? The disciple establishes a connection with the Guru for his own benefit, not for the benefit of the Guru. For the Guru, this is rather his duty. What is the algorithm of actions on the path of guru yoga?
First step: from trust to strong faith
First. One must give rise to faith or trust. Trust must grow into faith. There is no faith immediately, because we begin with little faith, with weak faith. But trust is easy to give rise to.
Trust must necessarily grow into faith. Faith must become strengthened. From a small faith it must become strong. What does strong mean? When we are ready to set aside many things in our life for the sake of our faith. When our faith comes to the forefront. If faith is strong, then we can, for example, move aside very big, very heavy things.
Question: What, for example, who knows?
— Karma.
Yes. It is not a wardrobe. One’s ego, for example, the conglomerate of karma. This is what faith is needed for. Because if we do not have such faith, we cannot move aside our karma, move aside our ego. We do not even believe that this needs to be done. We do not even have such a problematics. And the path of liberation consists precisely in obtaining a new destiny and moving aside the conglomerate of one’s karma.
If faith is strong, we will succeed in this. If faith is weak, we will fail on the spiritual path. That is, we will perform rituals, practice yoga, recite mantras, meditate, but the result we would like—which is to move aside karma—will not come about, because there will not be the proper power behind it. By one’s own strength, it is not so easy to move aside one’s karma, by one’s own personal, individual strength. One must be too guided by the Divine “I,” be in great Divine grace, in Shaktipat. Therefore Shiva says: guru yoga.
So, having given rise to faith, one must come to strong faith, such unshakable faith that would not waver under any conditions, would not doubt, and would allow one to move in practice decisively, boldly, without hesitation.
Second step: pure vision
After the arising of such faith, one should give rise to pure vision. Faith must lead to pure vision. Pure vision is a special way of looking at the world. The disciple begins with the objects of Refuge, and then extends pure vision to all living beings, to the entire world, including himself.
And pure vision means realizing one’s root guru as an expression, a manifestation of the chosen deity. That is, the principle is simple. If you realize your root guru as a manifestation of the chosen deity, you have pure vision. If you do not realize this, then it means it is still insufficient.
One can, for example, simply give rise to faith in the guru as a human being, as a person as well. A good person, intelligent, wonderful. But the Dharma says that this is not quite it.
The Guru is called to bless you and pull you out of the darkness of samsara, not merely to satisfy some needs in relationships, even good relationships. And for guru-tattva, the principle of the Guru, to free us from the karma of ignorance of samsara, one must give rise to faith not in him as a human being, but as a manifestation of the deity. And the deity is always connected with pure vision.
This means that pure vision is absolutely necessary. And when we make such a decision, we give rise to the spirit of samaya. To give rise to the spirit of samaya means to establish a connection with the objects of Refuge as in pure vision. Pure vision means looking at anything as a manifestation of the Divine. Through the eyes of pure perception.
What example can be given? For example, you look at a piece of dirt. But if you look with the eyes of pure vision, then a piece of dirt may be, in potential, gold. Perhaps gold is hidden there. And your pure attitude toward the dirt allows you to see the dirt as gold and transform the dirt into gold. You look at a piece of dirt, and in your perception there is gold. This is the principle of pure vision, already of such a high level.
The principle of pure vision means deifying something and imagining it in its best possible form. Even where it seems to your mind that something is not very good, if you generate pure vision, it is perceived as pure. According to the principle that on an island of gold there is not even a shadow of dirt, not even a speck of dust or impurity.
Pure and Impure Tattvas
Pure vision is connected with abiding, with self-awareness, with the worldview of the gods in pure dimensions. There are entire pure lands, shuddha lokas, beyul in Tibetan, where entire cities and entire pure lands exist, where the inhabitants are immortal, where there is no suffering or anxiety, because the law of karma does not operate there in the same way. And such lands exist because the people living in them have very deep pure vision. And there are worlds of angels, worlds of gods, shining with light. They exist only because the beings inhabiting them have such a vision that they can live in the dimension of pure tattvas.
The principle of pure vision is connected with retuning consciousness to the realm of pure tattvas. If you have studied the philosophy of Shaivism, then there the entire sphere consisting of 36 tattvas is divided into shuddha-tattvas, pure tattvas. These are five pure tattvas, such as:
- Shiva-tattva
- Shakti-tattva
- Sada-shiva-tattva
- Ishvara-tattva
- Sadvidya-tattva
These are realms of the causal world where energy is not separated from Shiva, and it too is pure. Very high realms in which great divine immortal beings live, such as Shambhavas, Shaktas, Mantras, Mantramaheshvaras, and Mantrishvaras. Divine liberated cosmic souls. They do not descend lower into the sphere of impure tattvas.
There is a realm of mixed tattvas, pure-impure. Such as Maya-tattva, the Five Kanchukas, Kala, Kala, Vidya, Raga, Niyati.
And finally, there is the realm of impure tattvas, and this is the world in which we live. Purusha-tattva, Prakriti-tattva, Buddhi-tattva, Ahamkara-tattva, Manas-tattva. The tattvas of the five sense organs, the gross elements — all of this is called the impure tattvas, ashuddha-tattva.
And pure vision means, while living with the body in this dimension of impure tattvas, that is, of gross elements, generating a perception as if you were looking through the eyes of pure tattvas, of very high vibrations. And when we maintain pure vision and generate devotion, Refuge, all this is called the spirit of samaya. Therefore, on the tantric path, the spirit of samaya is the first thing we begin with before practicing the teaching.
Seven Steps of Guru Yoga
Thus, thanks to the spirit of samaya, one should realize the Guru as a manifestation of the chosen deity in pure vision. This is the first step.
The second step is to realize the Guru as Brahman, because the chosen deity is always one with Brahman. If Dattatreya is our chosen deity, then Dattatreya is Brahman itself. Shiva himself as Ishvara and as Brahman. Shiva is the aspect of the manifested, active Brahman. And Brahman is the aspect of the inactive Absolute, that is, such a dual aspect. This is how we realize Dattatreya. The same applies to the Guru. This is the second step.
The third step is to realize the Guru as a manifestation of Ishvara. And when we have realized the Guru as a manifestation of the chosen deity in the first step, realized him as Brahman in the second step, and realized him as the active Brahman, as a manifestation of Ishvara, in the third step — these are the three steps.
The next step, when we have managed to achieve this, when we have truly received certain experiences of revelation and awareness, the fourth step begins, and the fourth step is connected with the principle of self-surrender in relation to, in connection with, the Guru.
These are very deep practices; in fact, they are not given to beginners. Self-surrender, devotion, naturally arises, because if we have understood that the Guru is Brahman, the Guru is Ishvara-Shiva, this is natural. To perform self-surrender through the Guru. Then we come to the fourth step, to self-surrender.
If self-surrender appears in us, if it succeeds, then the fifth step begins: we begin to receive the blessing, Shaktipath. That is, all these steps were necessary in order to place ourselves in the conditions for receiving Shaktipat through guru yoga.
When we have received Shaktipat, the next step during Shaktipat is merging with Shiva and merging with Brahman. The fifth and sixth steps are merging with Shiva and merging with Brahman. The descent of Shaktipat in the state of self-surrender leads to our beginning to merge with divine sources of a higher order, of the pure tattvas. And to merge means to truly change one’s karma, create a new destiny, and enter the path of liberation.
Seventh step. Merging with Shiva and merging with Brahman through the descent of grace leads to the self-recognition of Shiva-pratyabhijna. This means that we begin to realize ourselves as Brahman. And we begin to realize ourselves as Shiva. And we begin to realize ourselves as the manifestation of the chosen deity.
In other words, all prostrations, offerings, meditations have a precise, clear, meaningful goal — to start at point A and arrive at point B, to come to some result. And this result is your awareness of yourself as Brahman, your awareness of yourself as Shiva, and your awareness of yourself as a manifestation of Dattatreya in an illusory body. And all the methods, then the mantras that you will receive, will help you detail this, manifest it.
The Necessity of Seeking a Guru
Without a doubt, this is truth. This is truth. Therefore the wise will make an effort to find a Guru.
The wise will make an effort to find a Guru. The unwise, accordingly, will not. Because someone told them that a Guru is not needed, that he is inside you, and in general everything is one, so one can do nothing. Such a superficial view is precisely what prevents one from realizing oneself as Brahman, realizing oneself as the Deity, realizing oneself as Shiva, realizing oneself as a manifestation of the chosen Deity.
Because in order to go through all these processes: guru yoga, samaya, self-surrender, Shiva-prapatti — self-surrender, Shiva-sayujya, Shiva-samavesha — filling with grace, Shiva-pratyabhijna — recognizing oneself as Brahman and recognizing oneself as Shiva. They require an additional source of blessing, a source of Anugraha shakti. We cannot bless ourselves at this level. That is precisely why it is necessary.
And when a disciple finds a Guru, often he does not understand why he needs a Guru and what the result of guru yoga should be. It should be exactly like this. If the disciple acts correctly, he receives these results. And what are the methods?
Methods of Guru Yoga
These are guru-dhyana — meditation on the image of the guru and on his bhava, even more importantly on the bhava, attunement. Guru-puja — a mental or physical offering. Guru-stotra — the principle of praise. And guru-mantra.
There are several guru-mantras. One of them is the Guru-pranama mantra. Some of you have received transmission into it, some have not. There is the commonly accepted mantra “Om Shri Gurave Namaha,” which can always be recited. It is considered to calm and harmonize Jupiter. The principle of Jupiter within you is your guru-tattva and attracts his blessing. It is especially auspicious to perform it on Thursdays, because Thursday is the day of Brihaspati, the day of Jupiter.
The next mantra is “Om Namah Shivaya Gurave.” If you want to recite a mantra in the aspect of guru yoga, the Panchakshara mantra, recite the mantra in this way: “Om Namah Shivaya Gurave. Om Namah Shivaya Gurave.” You address Shiva in the aspect of guru-tattva, accepting him as the guru of all gurus, and in this way honor both the root guru and the entire Guru Parampara.
There is also the mantra “Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshvara, Gurur Sakshat Parabrahman, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha,” which speaks of the identity of the guru with God the creator, God the preserver, and God the destroyer.
If you meditate on the guru in this way, you can realize, receive revelations connected with guru yoga. There is also the guru-mantra that I give during diksha, the individual guru-mantra. It is not that each person has his own individual mantra; it is common to everyone. But still, it should not be discussed with others or told to others, because it is specifically for you.
In tantric literature, the principle of not disclosing mantras and methods is often encountered, not because we treat them selfishly. Rather, because the interference of the observer of another consciousness can reduce the effect of some practice or mantra. Even science confirms the quantum observer effect. And when a mantra is given to you, only you should be the observer of the guru-mantra. There are other mantras that can be recited in a group, together. They are not individual or secret, whereas the guru-mantra is secret. It is one of the paraprasada mantras. Paraprasada mantras are a special type of mantra in which there are certain syllables. And this is one of the variants of the paraprasada mantras described in the Kularnava Tantra and others. This is the guru-mantra that I give during diksha.
Maya — the creator of the world, concealing knowledge, born of ignorance — dwells in the body. The one by whose light true knowledge is illumined is called by the word “Guru.” Out of compassion for You, I will tell how the embodied Soul comes to Brahman, being purified of all sins through service to the feet of Shri Guru.
The Principle of Nonduality in Guru Yoga
What is also important to understand in Advaita Vedanta, in Shaivism, in Anuttara Tantra. The principle of non-duality is important. If you strongly separate “Guru” as “Guru” and “I” as “I,” this is not the level we are speaking about in Shaivism, because in Shaivism any sadhana is done from the spirit of non-duality. This means one must rethink the guru as one with one’s own consciousness. The principle of the guru, and include guru yoga in the process of one’s non-dual vision, jnana-drishti.
That is, guru yoga should help reduce our dualistic notions, not increase them. If we build a relationship with the Guru as with a person, then our dualistic notions may become stronger. But if we build it with him as Brahman or as a manifestation of the chosen deity, then, in theory, dualistic notions should decrease. After all, guru yoga leads to the transmission of non-dual consciousness, when we begin to find ourselves in the same vision as the guru. If the guru abides in non-dual consciousness, then, in theory, after some time of practicing guru yoga we should also notice signs of non-dual consciousness in ourselves. And what are the signs of non-dual consciousness—who can say?
— You do not divide into yourself and others; that is, you see yourself in others.
But you have simply said this in words; it should somehow be reflected in life, shouldn’t it?
— At the very least in relationships and simply in the perception of other beings. You stop taking offense, stop judging, stop looking for flaws.
Fewer judgments, more pure vision, yes? Yes, something like that.
Question: The seed mantra of Dattatreya, the six-syllable mantra of Shiva, and the Brahma mantra—are they equivalent to the guru mantra, or are they mantras of deities?
These are mantras of deities, but if you perceive your Guru as one with him, then this is also guru yoga. All mantras have a single basis. The Shiva mantra is recited for merging with the level of Ishvara. The mantra of the chosen deity is recited for transformation into the chosen deity. And the guru yoga mantra is recited for realizing the essence of union with any deity. Each mantra has its own purpose.
Question: So this is more of a principle than the specific properties of the guru mantra, which then extend to all mantras?
The guru mantra has its own separate properties, but we will speak about them separately. There is still much more of its own there. It is a mantra of the paraprasada-mantra category.
Four Spiritual Births
So, the result of guru yoga, of developing the preliminary qualities, should be our birth on the spiritual path in the Refuge Tree. Our first birth is given to us by our parents. They give us birth in a physical body of flesh and blood. This is birth in a body created through sexual intercourse. And it consists of our karma. It is born as a result of our karma. And our parents give us the opportunity to receive our karma, to experience our karma in the form of a body.
Then there is the second birth. The second birth is not given by the parents, but by the Guru as a result of diksha. And this second birth is like planting a seed, a potential. And this potential is birth as a sadhu. This birth is not physical, but rather psychological, inner. When at the level of existence, of identity, the vector of our life changes, new meanings, goals, a new personality is created. This is the birth of a personality. If we were born as a body from our parents, then in the second birth we are born as a spiritual personality seeking liberation. And we are also given a name, as a potential for the next, third birth, and a mantra, as a sound code, a sound vibration that will help this birth, and vows, as principles and rules.
So, the second purpose of the guru is to give us the second birth and indicate the path, where we should move toward the third birth, when we realize the Guru even simply as a person.
Then the third birth comes, and the third birth comes from the chosen deity. When we practice the given mantra, the guru mantra, the ishta-devata mantra. We meditate on the Guru as a manifestation of the chosen deity, meditate on the chosen deity, for example, do sandhya upasana with Dattatreya, recite the mantras of the Refuge Tree and single out Dattatreya, identify ourselves with the illusory body. Sooner or later, signs come that we are being born as a deity. For example, we see dreams in which attributes appear in our hands or the form of Dattatreya.
The third birth is connected with attaining Sarupya-mukti, with manifestation in the form of the deity inseparable from the clear light. It is given by both the Guru and the chosen deity. And here the Guru appears as inseparable from the chosen deity, as its representative of manifestation or appearance in the body.
Finally, the fourth birth is connected with attaining sayujya-mukti. And it comes thanks to Anugraha Shakti, shaktipat. Thanks to Shiva, if liberation occurs according to the type of Ishvara-mukti; if liberation proceeds according to the type of merging with Brahman, then, accordingly, Shaktipat occurs from non-dual Brahman. All this is two aspects of sayujya-mukti. And this is the fourth birth.
And we are to go through 4 or even 5 births. There are also two lower types of mukti in which we are also born, but we do not consider it necessary to specifically direct our consciousness toward these types of birth. The first type is called salokya-mukti, when in the next life we are born in a pure dimension, in a pure heavenly dimension, as inhabitants of paradise. And samipya-mukti, when we are born as inhabitants of paradise in the retinue of the chosen deity or in the presence of God.
Salokya and samipya-mukti are also two such births which, for us, are considered not so important. Although this is better than being born in samsara, if one practices.
So, we have already gone through birth from parents. If you have received diksha—the second birth, as a sadhu—you have gone through it. But if you have not received diksha, then you need to prepare for this birth. You will receive the third birth as a result of practice with the chosen deity, reciting its mantra, and performing all the theurgical sadhanas with the chosen deity. And the fourth birth, after the third, will be the result of blessing, shaktipat, from Shiva as Ishvara, from the dynamic aspect of Brahman. And the fifth birth will be the result of merging with Brahman, with the Absolute. These last two births both belong to sayujya-mukti.
Therefore, the spiritual path on the path of liberation is to be reborn, but not to be reborn as a karmically conditioned being from body to body, but to be reborn within this body as a personality, as energy, and as perception.
And guru yoga is the key to such spiritual rebirths instead of physical ones.
Question: Do the properties of the paraprasada mantra extend to the Dattatreya mantra, the Shiva mantra, and the Brahma mantra, or is this a necessary quality?
No, this is a separate property.
Question: Is it necessary to develop the quality sequentially?
Yes. But you can recite them in parallel. They do not contradict each other; they simply develop different aspects.
Question: Guruji, does that mean the third birth is somewhere around the third bhumi, yes? Or is it already the fourth enlightenment after all?
The third birth is between the third and fourth bhumi.
Question: Also, in order to dedicate merit, is it enough simply to express the intention in the mind, or does something else need to be added?
Express the intention; if there is a text for a specific practice, recite the mantra or the text of that specific practice. If there is not, then the intention is sufficient; visualization is possible.
Suppose, when you recite “Om Brahma po Namastu,” you have the intention to invest the accumulated merit in the realization of Brahman, in jnana yoga, and therefore you dedicate the merit to Brahman. But if you have the intention to invest the accumulated merit in something else, then the sankalpa must also be changed. You recite “Brahmar Ponamastu,” but you add some additional sankalpa as well.
Question: Is it enough not to pronounce the sankalpa, but when an intuitive ray is laid toward the intention, toward realization, to consider this a sufficient imprint for it to fully flourish as sankalpa?
This can be called a mental dedication of merits. If your thought is strong and concentrated, then you can do it this way.
The Path of Jivan Mukti
So, guru yoga, the principle of guru yoga, is the path to receiving the second birth, the birth of a new personality with meanings, values, and goals, as a sadhu, and then to the third birth, as the manifestation of a deity, and to the still higher fourth and fifth.
And a fortunate yogin goes through such a series of rebirths within one lifetime; this is the path of jivan mukti. To become a sadhu by receiving diksha, to gain the experience of transformation into the chosen deity, to obtain a fully fledged illusory body. To receive Shaktipat from Shiva, to realize one’s identity with Ishvara and begin to develop one’s inner energies, inner wisdom, and to receive Jnana, to realize one’s identity with Brahman.
These are different types of birth, which can be called revelations, types of enlightenment that arise. But everything begins with Refuge, and Refuge begins with the unwavering intention to attain liberation. And unwavering intention comes after deep analytical meditation on the topic of “The Four Awarenesses.”
Question: There may be no third birth, and the fourth and fifth may begin immediately.
If you do not practice the yoga of the chosen deity of the illusory body, but place emphasis, for example, on Jnana yoga, Nirguna bhakti, devotion of self-surrender, then it can. But in general, if you practice in our tradition, everything comes in stages.
