Today let us contemplate on Upasana. Upasana is the traditional Vedic way of worship.
‘Upasana’ is – ‘Asana’ means sitting, and ‘upa’ means closer, or near; ‘Sitting near’. ‘Upa’ also means becoming closer to the Divinity. We have a feeling of separation from the totality of existence. The existence is fragmented in terms of name and form by our mind, and the sense organs. This leaves a lot of unconscious and subconscious impressions, which hurt us. So, there is a purification required, what we call as ‘Chitta Shuddhi’, purification of our mind, so that we can see the oneness in existence, instead of fragmentation. To see the Divine in everything, everybody, is what is called Upasana.
There are two aspects of realization – Saguna and Nirguna. Saguna is with form, Nirguna is formless. For Saguna Upasana, mind has to be directed outward. For Nirguna Upasana, mind has to be made still, silent, thoughtless. Saguna Upasana involves the mind, thoughts and visualization. These are two different aspects. Saguna Upasana involves thoughts and visualization, mantra and visualization. The visualization process is called vidya. Vidya means education, the teaching. There are many vidyas in Upanishad. These vidyas can be used for meditating, worshipping the Divine.
Our Consciousness manifests as three different powers in us, Iccha Shakti, Jnana Shakti, Kriya Shakti. Power of desire, power of knowledge, and power of action. These 3 aspects can be utilized for Upasana. Kriya Shakti, action, is nothing but your energy, Prana. Different types of practices of Pranayama, will purify the mind of karmic impressions. So, Upasana of Prana is ‘Prano Brahmeti Upasita’. Taking Prana as Brahman, worshipping, meditating, practicing Pranayama is Upasana. It is not just doing some worship, Pranayama has to be practiced. How Prana is Brahman, is to be visualized as clearly as possible, based on the teachings of Upanishad vidyas. Upanishad has lot of vidyas, how to visualize Prana as Brahman.
When you use visualization, you are using the creative power of the mind. There is a creative visualization, where you are visualizing the Prana as Brahman. How Prana is the source of creation, how Prana creates the bodies, how Prana gives life to the bodies, how Prana is responsible for our life; like that the entire aspect of Prana as Brahman, involves different powers of Brahman, Brahman as creator, Brahman as sustainer, Brahman as destroyer, Brahman as one who creates maya – bondage, and Brahman as one who creates liberation – Guru. So, these five aspects can be meditated upon, visualized upon, based on Prana as Brahman. As I told you, anything in the manifest universe is Brahman; but Brahman is not that. Prana is Brahman, but Brahman is not Prana. Prana points to the Brahman, Prana is the pointer.
Upasana involves Prateeka. Prateeka means, a form, an object, for focusing our attention and meditation. So, Prana can be our focus of attention and meditation. That is called Upasana. Mental mode is involved in Upasana, which is visualization. And visualization is based on the Upanishad teachings of vidyas.
So, Prana can be taken as one aspect, space can be taken as Brahman, or the matter can be taken as Brahman. ‘Annam Brahmeti Upasita’, and ‘Mano Brahmeti Upasita’. Mind itself can be taken as Brahman. ‘Anandam Brahmeti Upasita’, bliss or infinity can be taken as Brahman. Like that, all the characteristics of Brahman, creation, sustenance, destruction, bondage and knowledge has to be meditated upon, visualized upon as the object of meditation. Don’t confuse the object of meditation as Brahman. It is only pointer.
Like when I am showing the moon there, my finger is pointing to the moon there. But, my finger is not the moon, finger is pointing to the moon.
Using Prateeka, you visualize the characteristics of Brahman. Because, Prateeka becomes focus point for you. That is called Upasana. Prana is Kriya Shakti. For Jnana Shakti – it is knowledge. So, Jnana Shakti is for purification of knowledge. Prana Shakti will purify your body-mind complex. What is the effect of Upasana on Prana Shakti, Kriya Shakti? Prana – the body-mind complex, become purified. There are three aspects of body and mind – Satva Guna, Rajo Guna, Tamo Guna. Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna is reduced by Prana Shakti. Satva Guna increases in the Prana. That means, more and more of Divine Consciousness reflects in your body because of Prana Upasana.
Like that, each Upasana has certain benefits and brings out certain abilities and Divine characteristics in us. By Prana Upasana, your Rajo Guna, and Tamo Guna reduce and Satva Guna increases in your body. When Satva Guna increases, more and more Divine Consciousness is reflected in your body, in you. Not only in the nervous system, but the entire body. Body itself becomes Satvik. Like that, each Upasana has one Phala, or the result. You have to choose the right Upasana for your life. Kriya Shakti is represented by Durga. Like that we have to do Upasana.
Then comes, Jnana Shakti, which is represented by Saraswati. Jnana Shakti is knowledge. Knowledge involves, understanding, Shravana, Manana, and Nidhidhyasa, and contemplation. This contemplation removes the ignorance in us. So, this is Jnana Shakti Upasana.
Then, Iccha Shakti is there, desire. Iccha Shakti is the desire, which involves “I want this, I want that”. That desire, when you utilize in service of the Divine, becomes Divine. “Dharma viruddho bhuteshu kamosmi bharatashabha”. I am the desire which are in tune with dharma, in all beings. That is what Sri Krishna says. Iccha Shakti involves visualization. Visualization of the divine characteristics, divine qualities, based on the Upanishad vidyas is the way to engage your imagination and visualization faculty.
So, now, what will happen, Jnana Shakti works on your logical aspect, icha Shakti works on your visualization aspect. Left brain, and right brain, both aspects have to be engaged in Upasana, for purifying your Consciousness. ‘Balam balam Brahma balam, Brahma tejo balam’. You will get a lot of power. Our power is weak, our Shakti is weak, because we think we are a body. So, when our identity changes from body to Consciousness, the Divine power manifests to the fullest extent in us. It is like the Sun that shines on a window pane, but window pane has dust, so the Light is less. Clean the window pane, more light will come. The cleaning process is called Upasana. By doing the Upasana, the Divine characteristics will manifest in you. Kriya Shakti, Iccha Shakti, Jnana Shakti, these are represented as Divinities Lakshmi, Durga, Saraswati, Narayana, Vishnu as personalities. So, depending on the Upasana, those qualities will manifest in your life. More and more Divine powers manifest in your life.
Because Upasana also involves outward direction, we are doing Saguna Brahma, or manifest reality. The mind is outwards. So, the mind which is focused outwards, develops a lot of intense concentration ability, focus and awareness. The counterpart of Saguna brahma, is Nirguna brahma Upasana. Drop all the thought, become silent. They are actually counterparts. The more silent you become, the more power you develop. More power you develop, more silent you become.The more the Divine power manifests, the more silent you become.
It is like this. There is a pole vault. In pole vault, you have to hold, press the vault and then jump. You press the ground and then jump. Similarly, meditation and Samadhi will take you to silence, and concentration and focus will develop the Divine qualities. Shiva – Shakthi; Consciousness – energy; Saguna Brahma – Nirguna Brahma; these are two aspects of Upasana. Upasana has to be done based on Upanishad teaching, vidyas.
Pranams.