The Point that Never Vanishes

An immaculate White disk within a dull background.

The same disk, but with a Central Point.

The point in the hitherto immaculate disk denotes the dawn of Differentiation.

It is the point in the Mundane Egg, the Germ within which will become The Universe,

The All, the Boundless periodical Kosmos. –

A Germ which is latent and active, periodically and by turns.

(Madame Blavatsky in her Proem to The Secret Doctrine)

When we think of ‘Human-being’, the first consideration is that of a physical/gross body which appears wrapped in an outer skin. Besides this body, the human-being has some other bodies with particular characteristics and attributes. Life, Mind, Intellect, Intelligence, Consciousness are the terms to indicate them. We may not know much about them, but the ‘mind’ is somewhat known in its functional facets.

‘Manayeva Manushyanam- karanam Bandha Mokshayoh’ is the beginning of one minor Upanishat. ‘You have a mind, thus you are a human-being; it is the cause for your relationships and emancipation’ is the meaning in general. The verse also continues to say that the mind is ‘contended’ with Kama (Desire) and it can be ‘dis-contented.’   

The main point we must be aware of is that every human-being has a mind and that is the seat of all aspirations, experiences, desires and passions. The mind is capacitated to function in two modes: one is pure and unselfish and the other is purely selfish and person-oriented. The latter mode is not a desirable quality of one’s state of ‘Being.’ One that is devoid of all impure thoughts and expectations is the ‘perfect’ one.

Cleanliness, purity and perfection are the three states of being for a human-being. Body, mind and the Real man belong to these three states of being. These are not superimpositions but are natural and original.

Mind that is capable of operation in the two modes is the one that eventually brings ‘fetters’ and the ‘freedom’ from such fetters. Its relationship with itself and everything around are the traits that bring in these two modes. Mind with personal ambitions and petty desires bring in the ‘binding’ oriented situation. The one that is pure and in its ‘original’ form is the one leading to a state of ‘perfection.’

We know the mind is not alone in its existence and functioning. The ‘senses’ operate as its ‘aids’ and ‘feed-points.’ They gather information from around the world in contact and too often pull the mind to lean on such information. This is the innate relationship and leaning only to the information brought about by them results in binding or fetter. When one can be free from the operation pulls of the senses and the mind, then the human-being can be ‘free’ and ‘fresh.’ The mind that does not involve in and be ‘disinterested’ will lead the human-being towards the freedom. The mind that does not incline in the cravings of the senses is the ‘one flower that can blossom in freedom.’ One who wants to be like that ‘flower’ should keep away and be alert to the sensory operations. He should be ‘above board’ for such operations and be eternally vigilant to keep his freedom intact.

Senses are not the mere external ‘motor-organs’. The Inner senses and the Tan-matras are also considered here. Because. All these produce varieties of tendencies, attractions, repulsions and the like. The mind that is not inclined to these  chitta-vrittis is the one that is open to the pouring of the heart.

There can be a Centre beyond the mind. There can be Knowledge which is superior to that one made-up by the sensory perception, for which the mind is the centre. It is only when the human-being transcends this mind-centre that he could come to know this higher or superior knowledge. He would know his ‘true nature’ when he takes the definite step of ‘moving far beyond the mind’ in its area of operation. When he knows what his ‘true nature’ is and where his real ‘roots’ are, he initiates himself into a higher realm of being and existence.

Desire and Desert always play prominent part in human life. This situation should be understood well and assimilated. Desire and Desert are only a simple sample of the pair of opposites that make the human-being oscillate and vacillate all time. The presence of a perfect balance in between is ‘harmony’. This is the “Wisdom”. Gathering lots of data, information; exhibition and expression of scholarship are distant to the state of real understanding. Keeping or holding oneself in this state is real ‘meditation’. Human-being has to be observant and one-pointed towards the orientation of this state. This is the straight path, which is also steep. All others are winding and long time-consuming. They bring in many tribulations and misnomers. Sometime they may even  slide and side-track to totally mislead one.

It is not possible to stretch one’s thought towards the origin/source of manifestation. It is not within the orbit of a normal thinking and behavioral pattern. The instrument that aids the human-being in this endeavor is again the mind. It has its own frontiers and limitations.  The source and origin of manifestation is Shore less and Limitless. It is also immeasurable. This again does not mean a human-being should not attempt this. Obviously paradoxical and particularly astonishing, there is a source/ Origin/Central point; and it cannot be understood by mere reflection, contemplation and similar exercises. It is not, however, possible for one to keep mum from reflection and contemplation. That original source is beyond all partial expressions. If one has to understand that ‘as-is-where-is’, one has to adopt a different mode which is far beyond the normal reflection etc. It needs another instrument, from which the mind had generated, but is far beyond that region. To come to that Point, the phenomenal structures such as name, form, time and space are to vanish. One has to contemplate upon the point without a trace of incline to any of these seeming and hardheaded limitations.

When we say this, it does not mean that the limitations drop away or vanish once for all. The Point is not partial or  a part of something. Our contemplation about it will not bring any modification to or within that. Our ideas do not add any thing new to that. It is not influenced by any of our ways of thinking and behavior.

The source/origin/point/centre can be understood by those who are serious enough to understand that. It has no illusions or delusions. It has no end. It has no cause. It cannot be compared to anything else. It cannot be imagined or speculated. It has no beginning. Those who know this much about that are the ‘wise’. Normal pretensions of scholarship, speculation of senses do not bother them. They are totally free of all such minor dangers.

Those who know, not verbally but practically, this much do not vanish or die. They have no fetters. They need not have to run after a path of devotion or in search of a Teacher. This is the Truth. Till such time this truth is assiduously learnt, human-being will be running here and there, craving for something or the other.

This ‘Point’ is to be understood by a way of deep contemplation and wholesome dedication. There are at least three stages in this knowing: Awakening, Dreamful sleep and Dreamless sleep. For those who transcended these three stages and improved upon their understanding, there is no need for moving here and there in search of this thing or that.

That which binds all visible and invisible objects in the manifestation, that common-bond must be latent in the nature. Moon is ‘one’ and his reflection in waters makes it appear to be ‘many’.

We move from one place to another a vessel, so to say.  Are we not, without our being conscious of that, also moving the internal space of the vessel? Similar to the vessel and the space, the body of the human-being and the real human-being are complementary to each.

The real man is not the vessel but the inner space; not the body but the inner man who wears the body. Like the vessel, the body has many forms. The body vanishes many times but it does not know that he vanishes. The real man who takes upon himself different bodies knows that his bodies vanish. The real man always knows this through and thoroughly.

A human-being who is totally immersed in words and similar illusions should try you get over from that fettered state and move on – beyond to the real state of Being. This needs a constant effort and consistent turn.

Being embodied and embedded in words means choosing to remain in darkness. The real state is to be away from all darkness, and form a state where there is no scope for darkness.

The dispelling factor of darkness is Light. There can be no darkness where there is abundant Light. Being not caught in the pairs of opposites such as darkness and light, man should endeavor to move on further and beyond. The ‘pairs’ also include all names, forms, time and space.  The state beyond grants them a state that never vanishes. All sounds, words, running after meanings --- all these get dropped and a real understanding arrives. It cannot diminish or disappear, nor entropies itself.

Those who desire to arrive at this stage have to bring about the needed changes, alterations, observations into their own lives, their psychological attitudes and behavioral patterns.

There are two things to be known: Words and Wards beyond words. When we know full well of the words, the search for the wards beyond the words can start. When one becomes proficient in scholarship, then the effortless effort for the Wisdom and the reality leading to that.

The ‘grain and the seed’ is no novel subject. The husk needs to be removed, but it securely preserved the seed earlier. The seed is to be carefully brought about and made use of as ‘food’. The husk is chaffed off. Similarly one will not be a bookworm all the time and he knows when the books are no longer needed for him.

All the cows are not white or brown or black. But the milk they yield is always white. The forms in manifestation are many colored but the inherent being or the Be-ness is the same. Wisdom is likened to the milk, if we allude the many objects to forms of manifestation. From milk are derived curds, butter and ghee. Ghee is inherently within the milk. Similarly, the urge to know more and more about one’s own ‘real nature’ is always concealed in the Inner Man. To know oneself is the Inner Urge in each of the forms in manifestation, more so in the Human-being.

Mind is the churner and Wisdom the rope that operates to make it effective. The mind in itself is to be churned well to know the serene, discerned, un-fragmented state which alone is the real state.

The fire is carefully, effectively brought out of a piece of wood. Similarly, the fire in man, the result of the urge is to be picked and brought to surface.

Every human-being who carries physical vesture in body with him ultimately moves to a state where he knows that he is the Source/Origin/Centre/Point. He is the Point and not only that - every speck in the manifestation is the Point. Every minute particle is the point with the inherent possibility of expansion into a Universe. Eventually, even the body knows this; and that is the Truth.

“I am the very centre lightening and shining in all beings in the manifestation, protecting all of them from decay or deterioration. I am the Point – The Point am I.”

This decidedly is the path of real knowledge, the means and the royal way. This is the Truth that can itself be embedded into a working day-to-day life.

Dr N C Ramanujachary

[The Ideas are taken from  Amrita Bindu Upanishad, one of the minor Upanishads appearing as a part of Krishna Yajurveda; and are almost used verbatim.]