Swami SivanandaHis autobiography and his teaching on the Guru
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
1. Dawn of New Life
I was tired of this illusory life of sense-pleasures I became quite disgusted with this prison of body. I had Satsanga with Mahatmas And imbibed their nectarine instructions. I crossed the dire forest of love and hatred. I roamed far beyond the world of good and evil I came to the border-land of stupendous silence And caught the splendour of the Soul within All my sorrow is over now My heart is now brimming up with joy Peace has now entered my soul I was suddenly lifted out of my life There was a dawn of new life. I experienced the inner World of Reality The Unseen filled my soul and head. I was bathed in a flood of effulgence ineffable And saw the Lord behind all names and forms And realised that I am the Light.
2. Preliminary Spiritual Experiences
I
More and more dispassion and discrimination, More and more yearning for liberation, Peace, cheerfulness, contentment, Fearlessness, unruffled state of mind, Lustre in the eyes, good smell from the body; Beautiful complexion, sweet, powerful voice, Wonderful health, vim, vigour and vitality, Freedom from disease, laziness and depression, Lightness of body, alertness of mind, Powerful Jatharagni or digestive fire Eagerness to sit and meditate for a long time Aversion to worldly talks and company of worldlings Feeling of Presence of God everywhere Love for all creatures, Feeling that all forms are forms of the Lord That the world is Lord Himself Absence of Ghrina or dislike to any creature Even to those who despise and insult Strength of mind to bear insult and injury To meet dangers and calamities Are some of the preliminary spiritual experiences. These indicate that one advances In the spiritual path.
II
Balls of white lights, coloured lights Sun, stars during meditation Divya Gandha, Divya Taste, Vision of the Lord in the dream Extraordinary, superhuman experiences, Vision of the Lord in the human form Sometimes in the form of a Brahmin Old man, leper or out-caste in rags Talking to the Lord, Are the preliminary spiritual experiences. Then comes cosmic consciousness or Savikalpa Samadhi Which Arjuna experienced. Eventually the aspirant enters Into Nirvikalpa Samadhi Wherein there is neither seer nor seen Wherein one sees nothing, hears nothing He becomes one with the Eternal.
3. I Have Won the Game of Life
Through the Grace of the Lord and Sat-Guru I am unattached and free. All doubts and delusions have vanished. I am free and ever blissful I am free from fear, As I rest in That non-dual State. Fear is due to duality. I am Brahman-intoxicated. I have attained perfection and freedom. I live in the pure consciousness. I have won the game of life. I have won! I have won!! I have won!!!
4. In Him I Find My All
At last His Grace descended on me I gazed and gazed at Him I was lost in that wondrous Vision of the Lord. The Grace filled the cup of my heart. The ecstatic thrill overwhelmed me In His Will is my peace His Name is a heaven of repose In Him I find my all.
All knowledge is locked up in His bosom The whole creation rise and fall in Him He is the Supreme Reservoir of all that appears. He is the Mainstay of all the worlds. He is the Holy One, Perfect in Wisdom, The cause of this world, the Bestower of Salvation!
5. In the Ocean of Bliss
O Mahadeva, O Kesava By the sword of Thy Grace I have cut off all my bonds I am free, I am blissful All desires have disappeared Now I aspire nothing But Thy blessed Feet I have lost all my thoughts In Thee, O Narayana.
I had Thy wondrous vision I was lost in ecstasy I was at once transformed I was drowned In the Divine Consciousness In the ocean of bliss Hail, Hail, O Vishnu, My Lord.
6. Immortal Self I Am
One eternal, infinite Being alone exists Jiva is identical with this Being Pain is unreal; it cannot exist Bliss is Real; it cannot die. Mind is unreal; it cannot exist, Soul is real; it cannot die. Freedom comes through knowledge of the Self Freedom is Perfection, Immortality and Bliss Freedom is direct realisation of the Self Freedom is release from births and deaths I am neither mind, nor body This whole world is my body The whole world is my home Nothing exists, nothing belongs to me Immortal Self I am.
7. Speechless Zone
In the perfect nameless, formless Void, In the unlimited expanse of bliss, In the region of matterless, mindless joy In the realm of timeless, spaceless, thoughtless space In the transcendental abode of Sweet Harmony I united with the Supreme Effulgence The thought that we are one or two vanished I crossed the sea of birth for ever. This is all due to the Grace of the Lord Who danced in Brindavan with rhythmic jingle Who raised Govardhan as umbrella for the cowherds.
8. I Have Become That
The Maya-made world has vanished now Mind has totally perished The Ego has been entirely powdered The watertight compartments have been broken down Names and forms disappeared All distinctions and differences have melted Old Jivahood has entirely fused The flood of Truth, Wisdom and Bliss Has entered everywhere in abundance Brahman alone shines everywhere One homogenous Joy-essence pervades everywhere I have become That. I have become That. Sivoham. Sivoham. Sivoham.
9. The Great Bhuma Experience
I merged myself in great unending joy I swam in the ocean of immortal bliss I floated in the sea of Infinite Peace Ego melted, thoughts subsided Intellect ceased functioning The senses were absorbed I remained unawakened to the world I saw myself everywhere It was a homogeneous experience There was neither within nor without There was neither ‘this’ nor ‘that’ There was neither ‘he’, ‘you’ nor ‘I’ nor she There was neither time nor space There was neither subject nor object There was neither knower nor knowable nor sight How can one describe this transcendental experience? Language is finite, words are impotent; Realise this yourself and be free.
10. Mysterious Experience
Brahman or the Eternal is far sweeter than honey Jam, sugar-candy, Rasagulla or Laddu I meditated on Brahman, the Immutable I attained the stage that transcends finite True light shone in me Avidya or Ignorance vanished in toto The doors were totally shut The senses were withdrawn Breath and mind merged in their source I become one with the Supreme Light A mysterious experience beyond speech indeed Sivoham, Sivoham, Sivoham, Soham Sat-chit-ananda Swaroopoham.
11. Sivoham—Sivoham—Sivoham
I have realised the identity Of individual soul and Supreme Soul Sat-chit-ananda is my essential nature My mind is withdrawn from all external objects I am deeply God-intoxicated
All sorrow and pain and fear have vanished I am ever peaceful and joyful I am Truth, Pure Consciousness and Bliss I shine forth as a Divine Flame.
In all living beings I am tasting the Bliss of the Eternal I have attained the Goal of Life In that Brahman am I!
That Brahman who is Satchidananda Who is the Indweller and Inner Ruler Who is the womb of the Vedas Who is the creator of this universe Who is the substratum for everything Who gives light to the intellect Who is hiding himself in all forms Who is adored by the Rishis Whom the Vedas proclaim Whom the Yogins wish to attain Samadhi Who is terror to Indra and Agni Who is sweet to the disciplined Yogi That Brahman verily am I Sivoham Sivoham Sivoham!
12. State of Samadhi
O What a Joy! What a Bliss! All desires are now fulfilled Everything is attained I am Immortal, deathless, I am Eternal Consciousness I am the Great and the High All this is mere Moksha Moksha alone is everywhere It is to be known And experienced by everyone.
That ego has melted now The Vasanas are burnt up In the fire of wisdom There is Manonasa Or annihilation of mind All distinctions have vanished All differences have disappeared There is neither ‘I’ or ‘you’ All indeed is Brahman This is one homogeneous bliss This experience-whole is ineffable Words fail to describe this state Feel it yourself in Samadhi.
13. Through the Grace of Guru
I know my essential nature I have reached the peak of perfection I am pure Immortal Atman.
All my desires are gratified I am Apta Kama I have attained everything I have done all my works
I have nothing more to learn The Vedas have nothing to teach me The Smritis have nothing to instruct me The world has nothing to attract me
Maya is hiding herself modestly As I know all her tricks and ways She blushes to appear before me
This is all due to the Grace of the Lord And the Grace of the Guru He made me like Himself Prostrations to the Guru Obeisance to the Guru!
14. I Am That I Am
Timeless and spaceless is this goal Painless and sorrowless is this seat Blissful and peaceful is this Abode Changeless and boundless is this Dhama I know that “I am He” I have neither body, mind nor senses I have neither change, nor growth nor death I am the Immortal, All-pervading Brahman. Neither virtue nor sin can touch me Neither pleasure nor pain can affect me Neither likes and dislikes can taint me I am Existence-Absolute, Knowledge-Absolute and Bliss-Absolute. I have neither friends nor enemies I have neither parents nor relatives I have neither home nor country I am that I am. I am that I am. I am never born, I never die I always exist, I am everywhere, I have neither fear of death nor fear of public criticism I am Siva, full of Bliss and Knowledge Chidananda-rupah Sivoham, Sivoham.