Question: What is Dasoham, Soham, Koham, Naham?
Sri Prabhuji: Dasoham means living life as a servant of the lord. We need to live life with a mindset that “I am a servant of you”. The entire universe is nothing but manifestation of Eshwara. Any service which we do should be in service of Eshwara. Anything you offer, it doesn’t matter. Phalam, patram anything. Doesn’t matter. It becomes an offering. Whatever comes back is Prasada and whatever Prasada is coming back will not be recorded in your memory and further karma will stop.
First step is stop further karma accumulation. This will open up gate to Mukthi. So, anything happens in life whether adverse or not, accept it as grace. This will be for purification of mind. Gradually, you will start living peacefully. You start accepting life as it is, this will lead to happiness in life. This will lead to manolaya. Moment you chase peace, peace will run away. Moment you chase happiness, happiness runs away.
So, dasoham means I am servant of god. Earlier, I was servant of ego. I was doing everything for my happiness. But now, it’s a service. This shift in attitude will help in Chitta shudhi. This is karma yoga.
Why karma yoga is important?
Any action in our life, it happens with intention. No action occurs without intention. And this intention is due to samskaras in life. Impressions will rise. This leads to thoughts and this leads to actions. Intentions leads to actions. Intention is sankalpa.
In Karma yoga, we are looking at intention level.
ishvara-arpitam na ichaya kritam , chitta shodakam mukti sadhakam
This means I am offering Eshwara everything. It’s not for my personal ego benefit. It’s an offering. It’s a service. Intention is changing now. When intention is changed, it’s a service. It is going from “I want happiness, I want happiness, I want happiness “ to this is a service to Eshwara.
The reason for this is chitta shuddi. The reason for this is purification. Your intention is changed and actions will not bring results. This is called Dasoham.
Soham: In Soham dhyana, we want to become one with god. We should change the “I am body, mind and intellect” to merge with god. The recordings need to be changed. What to do with previous recordings? Your new recordings stop with karma yoga. What to do with past recordings? Do dhyana. Bhava dhyana.
Do Soham. I am one with god. You can do Bhava dhyana in many ways. You can do bhava dhyana of avatar purusha, ishta devata, guru anything which is comfortable for each person. Bhava dhyana helps in chitta shudhi.
Yad Bhavam tad bhavati
What you think of, you become. Whatever bhava is there, you become that. There is a teaching in Vedanta called bramara keeta nyaya.
This basically tells a keeta or worm constantly thinks of wasp or bramara. This leads to the worm turning into a wasp.
Whatever you think, you become that. If you think of Lord Rama always, then dharma comes into your life. This bhava will modify your internal recording. In this change, Soham is possible. “I am he”. You don’t know what is he right now. So, you consider Bhagawan as Guru/Avatara Purusha/universe. Drop “I am body, mind, intellect”. Just hold on to “I am”. Consciousness and existence is the reality.
I am one with existence. This leads to Virata purusha dhyana. Or you can also do ishta devata dhyana. This leads to change in existing recordings.
Akhanda Anantha sanathana Brahma.
I am infinite existence. Just hold on to “I am”. That is entire existence. It’s infinite. Your internal recordings are changing. Always think of oneness. Never think of duality.
Koham and Naaham: Dasoham for external level. At mind level, use Soham. Then go back from mind by asking “Who am I?”. Then you realize Soham also does not exist.
At Soham level there is oneness. At Koham level, there is enquiry. At Naaham level, there is nothing. There is no duality. It’s advaita.
Soham is a practice. Practice of being in oneness with universe. At Koham, you are enquiring everything. You understand “I” is unchanging. You don’t have to find anything new. You are already the unchanging “I”. Now, when you understand this, what should you do? Nothing.
So far, everything involved action. Now, it’s un-action. You don’t have to do anything. “I” is not bound by anything. The real I has not changed anything.
At Koham, you enquire about this. At Naaham level, you understand deeply that “I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not the intellect.”
Take a stand from “I am Shiva”. You have nothing to do. Nowhere to do. No action to do.