Moments of Realization

Guruji: “Gorakhabodha is an amazing book! Discusses some of the heaviest truths about yoga sādhanā.

Q: “Guruji, what happens in samādhi?”

Guruji: “Your consciousness becomes one with Earth’s consciousness. That’s why they say you are everywhere and nowhere at the same time.”

Q: “In Tripurā Rahasya Jñāna Khaṇḍa, it says everybody experiences samādhi every moment, when the mind goes from one subject to another.”

Guruji: “That’s also going on. Every moment of realization is a moment of samādhi. Any new thing you’ve understood is a form of samādhi only.

Q: “It says in the book that whenever you are stunned, you also experience samādhi.”

Guruji: “Because it’s a moment of realization. Every moment of realization can be termed as samādhi. Even when you suddenly discover a new thing in your laboratory, that’s also samādhi. Refer to Yoga Darśana: the combination of dhāraṇa, dhyāna, and samādhi is saṁyama. Samādhis are many.”

Q: “I have the same question as is posed in the book: If samādhi is happening every moment, then why doesn’t everybody become all-knowing?”

Guruji: “Well, knowledge increases with these momentary samādhis. The common concept that in the moment of realization you know everything, in my opinion, is not true. It’s a journey of realization, step-by-step. With each realization your knowledge will increase. Every samādhi experience makes you more mature. What you are today is not the same as what you were yesterday. You are not the same person. Because, since yesterday you may have understood a few more things that you knew then. It’s a gradual progression.”

Q: “So it’s not like a switch suddenly turns on and you become all-knowing.”

Guruji: “These beliefs have become more popular after Ramakrishna Paramhansa talked about samādhi and when Yogananda described it a little. Before then, there was no such misconception. Otherwise why would people practice samādhi everyday, if only one experience was enough? Refer to Yoga Darśana: it gives the exact description of samādhi. And the experience that Paramahanda Yogananda has described, even LSD users have the similar experience.”

[20100711-2]

One thought on “Moments of Realization”

  1. Totapuri cleaned his silver Lota (water-pot)everyday.
    When Ramakrishna-ji asked him, "Why do you practice samadhi everyday, although you are a realized soul?"

    Totapuri: "Look at the shine in my Lota! Thats because I clean it daily."

    I think that we collect much fog in our minds everyday, while dealing with samsara. Daily meditation clears up the smog.

    Yogi Nigamananda said that the practice of samadhi over a long period of time, again and again, helps the yogi to digest the knowledge. "Jnana Paripaak"

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