Gita Rahasya -Tilak 245

Gita Rahasya -Tilak

CHAPTER IX THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE ABSOLUTE SELF Therefore, when a man is in this condition, ihafc is to say, when the Realiser (jnani ) is unable to say that he has Realised the Brahman, he may be said to have Realised the Brahman. That a Realiser Should be thus totally merged, -engrossed, totally dissolved, saturated or dead into the Parabrahman, as a result of a total annhiliation of the feeling -of duality, would commonly be looked upon as difficult. But our philosophers have after personal experience come to the conclusion that this state of 'nirvana' ( dissolution ), which at first sight appears difficult, can ultimately he reached by a man by practice (abhyasa) and by renunciation (vairagya). .Some people raise an objection that in as much as the dual feeling of egoism is destroyed or dies in this state of mind, this is a kind of self-destruction. But any one can see that this objection is without foundation, when one realises that though a man cannot describe this state when he is experienc- ing it, yet, he can afterwards remember it. But even a stronger illustration than that is the experience of saints- Leave aside the self-experiences of ancient siddha ( released ) souls. Even in modern times, Tukarama, that highest among the devotees of the Blessed Lord, has said : I saw my death by my own eyes I that spectacle was incomparable I . in describing this state of ultimate bliss in figurativa language, and with great exuberation and appreciation. By the worship of, and meditation on, the qualityful perceptible or imperceptible Brahman, the devotee gradually rises and ultimately reaches such a state that he Realises the identity of the Brahman and the Atman, which is described by the words "aham brahmasmi", i. e., "I am the Brahman" ; and then he becomes steeped to such an extent in that state, that he does not think of what state he is in, or of what he is experiencing. In as much as he has not ceased to be awake, this his state cannot be called the dream-state or the sleeping- state ; and, it cannot be called a waking-state, as all the activities based on duality, which are carried on in the waking- state, are stopped.