PART – 1
Let us contemplate today on the process of Nidhidhyasa.
Nidhidhyasa involves Atma Vichara or self enquiry, ‘Who am I?’ Nidhidhyasa sounds like a meditation, but it is not meditation. ‘Nidhi’ means wealth, ‘Dhyasa’ means being aware. Nidhidhyasa has more to do with awareness, rather than with meditation. Meditation requires an object. The object can be a physical object, or a Divine form or a Divine name. The focus is on the object in meditation. In the process of Nidhidhyasa, the focus is not on the object. The focus is on the subject. The focus is not on the seen, but on the Seer. The Seer is the Sakshi. The Seer is Atma. The Seer is Brahma, the same Reality. The Self, or Brahman, the Supreme Reality, whose nature is formless – Nirakara, thoughtless – Nirvikalpa, Akhanda – with no parts, can never be objectified – you cannot make it the object of meditation. Nidhidhyasa is not meditation in that sense. Subject can never be objectified.
Atma when the ignorance or Ajnana is gone, which you have done through Shravana and Manana. So, Nidhidhyasa is a process of ‘Anusandhana’. Anusandhana means reflection. Constant reflection on the Truth is called Nidhidhyasa. It starts with constant reflection on the Truth. The Truth can be different Vedic or Upanishad teachings. There are ‘Mahavakyas’, we call them – ‘Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma’ – All This is Brahman; ‘Ayam Atma Brahma’ – The Self is Brahman; ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ – I am Brahman; so many of these Spiritual Truths can be taken for contemplation, this is the initial pace of Nidhidhyasa.
PART – 3
How do you do Nidhidhyasa? First sit comfortably, close your eyes, and make your mind calm. You can use breath-awareness practice, Shwasanusandhana or you can use Prananusandhana, awareness of Prana, to calm down the mind. After that, you take up one of the Vedantic teachings, Mahavakyas, or preferably a specific teaching, which is given by Guru to you. Guru has asked you to contemplate on certain truths, you can take up that. So, contemplate on that, hold that Truth in your mind.
Let me take the example of ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ – I am Brahman, as the contemplation. When you take, in the ‘I am Brahman’, the ‘I am’, lot of thoughts will come related to ‘me’. I am body; I am husband, I am so and so. Drop all the thoughts, and constantly hold on to the thought that ‘I am Brahman’. You know what is ‘I am’, because you have ‘I am’ feeling. Brahman you have to understand as Nirakara, Nirvikalpa, Akhanda, Sacchidananda roopa. Constantly contemplate on that. It can also be called Soham Dhyana; Soham means ‘I am That’ – I am Sat-Chit-Ananda, Truth-Consciousness-Bliss. I am Akhanda, undivided; I am Nirvikalpa, formless. Constantly meditate on that. Any thought which is coming, related to ‘I am’, drop it. Focus on that thought. So, this is the Nidhidhyasa.
PART – 4
Who is doing this Nidhidhyasa? The mind is doing. When mind is doing that, contemplation is happening in the mind. Sakshi should be aware of what is happening. Sakshi means, another part of the mind, which has taken Sakshibhava. If anytime mind diverts here and there, bring back to that thought, and hold on to that thought. So, what happens in the Nidhidhyasa is that there is a Vichara, which is actually an Anusandhana, reflection on the truth, again and again. Then, Sakshibhava – witnessing what is happening in the mind. From Sakshibhava as you start doing this contemplation, the mind will become more and more silent; because all the doubts are clarified through whatever you have learnt through Shravana, Manana. Use that logic to remove all the unwanted thoughts and doubts, and have a firm conviction that ‘I am Brahman’. Now, gradually, thoughts will become feeling. Thoughts will reduce, and feeling will be there – ‘I am Brahman’. From thoughts, there is feeling – a movement happens. Gradually from feeling, a silence will come. So, it is from thoughts, to feelings, to silence. At the same time you maintain a Sakshibhava, so then, gradually, move from Sakshibhava to Brahmabhava. The feeling ‘I am Brahman,’ will come, because of this contemplation.
PART – 5
During Nidhidhyasa, Sakshibhava will ensure that all the unwanted thoughts will go. Brahmabhava is holding on to wanted thought. ‘I am body’ thought will come, just don’t react to that; stay there – that is Sakshibhava. ‘I am Brahman’, remember that – that is Brahmabhava. Like that, from Sakshibhava you have to move to Brahmabhava. This is a thought actually. Again, Bhava is related to thought. And then, gradually it becomes feeling. So, you can use the Mantra. Now, in this stage, you have to use the Mantra, you have to chant, or repeat the Mantra or the Vedantic teaching, mentally, as a thought. Then gradually, the mantra, or chanting, or thought will go down. Thought will be replaced by feeling, Sakshibhava, and then Brahmabhava. Brahmabhava is feeling ‘I am Brahman’, means one with that Eternal Reality. Gradually, Brahmabhava also will go and Brahmisthithi you will attain. Pure awareness will stay, and this is like a sleep in a waking condition. Fully aware, no thoughts, no objects in the world, ‘I’ alone is the reality, that will set in. This is called ‘Nidhidhyasa’.
PART – 6
So, the stages involved in Nidhidhyasa are – start with the breath observation or breathing practices, Shwasanusandhana, or Prananusandhana. Then, take the Mantra which is given by Guru, mentally start chanting, with the feeling, or take the instruction given by Guru, the Vedantic Vakya, and contemplate on that. Hold on to thought ‘I am Sakshi’ when any unwanted thought comes. ‘I am Brahman’ that thought you hold on. This is related to the contemplation practice, or whichever contemplation practice the Guru has given. Hold on to that thought. When there are unwanted thoughts, you become Sakshi, Sakshibhava. When I say you become Sakshibhava, it is again a thought. Then, for the direction in which your meditation is moving have Brahmabhava, ‘I am Brahman’ that thought you have. Gradually, thoughts will become feelings. Feeling will become silence. The mind will become silent, and you stay in Turiya Sthithi, or the state of Pure Awareness. So, stay as long as possible. It is very deeply relaxing. This is actually Nirvikalpa Samadhi in Vedantic way.
The more you repeat Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the more that becomes your state – Brahmisthithi. So the steps involved are – Sakshibhava, also called as Sakshi Vritti; Brahmabhava, also called as Akhandakara Vritti; then Akhandarasa or Brahmisthithi. This is how you go in meditation, Nidhidhyasa. This is the practice. Do this practice.
Pranams