On falling asleep and snoring in Sahaj Marg satsanghs.
First the traditional understanding why an upright alert posture is part of samadhi from Talks with Ramana Maharshi.Talk 391
The same sannyasi visitor, Swami Lokesananda, asked about samādhi.
M.:
(1) Holding on to Reality is samādhi.
(2) Holding on to Reality with effort is savikalpa samādhi.
(3) Merging in Reality and remaining unaware of the world is nirvikalpa samādhi. [See table]
(4) Merging in Ignorance [tamas] and remaining unaware of the world is sleep. (Head/neck bends in sleep but not in samādhi).
(5) Remaining in the primal, pure natural state without effort is sahaja nirvikalpa samādhi.
D.: It is said that one remaining in nirvikalpa samādhi for 21 days must necessarily give up the physical body.
M.: samādhi means passing beyond dehātma buddhi (I-am-the-body idea) and non-identification [or giving up identification] of the body with the Self is a foregone conclusion.
There are said to be persons who have been immersed in nirvikalpa samādhi for a thousand years or more.
However, in Sahaj Marg, at first, samādhi is the spiritual condition of the outer Master transmitted to the inner Master within the abhyasi via prāṇahuti.
Initially, the abhyasi's inner instruments cannot perceive or sustain the Master's condition. They relax and so do the outer instruments, resulting in a state akin to physical sleep.
But mental and spiritual work still continue for the duration of the satsangh or sitting.
Therefore, there is no Merging in Ignorance as in 4) above and this is why abhyasis slumped over are not really sleeping mentally.
With repeated merger in the inner Master's condition, abhyasis are able to reach and sustain subtler inner states by themselves. Then, Master's mental efforts also reduce and the abhyasis are physically relaxed but not sleeping.
The same sannyasi visitor, Swami Lokesananda, asked about samādhi.
M.:
(1) Holding on to Reality is samādhi.
(2) Holding on to Reality with effort is savikalpa samādhi.
(3) Merging in Reality and remaining unaware of the world is nirvikalpa samādhi. [See table]
(4) Merging in Ignorance [tamas] and remaining unaware of the world is sleep. (Head/neck bends in sleep but not in samādhi).
(5) Remaining in the primal, pure natural state without effort is sahaja nirvikalpa samādhi.
D.: It is said that one remaining in nirvikalpa samādhi for 21 days must necessarily give up the physical body.
M.: samādhi means passing beyond dehātma buddhi (I-am-the-body idea) and non-identification [or giving up identification] of the body with the Self is a foregone conclusion.
There are said to be persons who have been immersed in nirvikalpa samādhi for a thousand years or more.
However, in Sahaj Marg, at first, samādhi is the spiritual condition of the outer Master transmitted to the inner Master within the abhyasi via prāṇahuti.
Initially, the abhyasi's inner instruments cannot perceive or sustain the Master's condition. They relax and so do the outer instruments, resulting in a state akin to physical sleep.
But mental and spiritual work still continue for the duration of the satsangh or sitting.
Therefore, there is no Merging in Ignorance as in 4) above and this is why abhyasis slumped over are not really sleeping mentally.
With repeated merger in the inner Master's condition, abhyasis are able to reach and sustain subtler inner states by themselves. Then, Master's mental efforts also reduce and the abhyasis are physically relaxed but not sleeping.
However, not reaching subtler levels and falling asleep during satsangh/sittings could also be due to one or more of these mundane reasons:
- lack of regular practice
- lack of proper sleep
- physical or mental exhaustion
- overly comfortable with current mental levels and so unwilling to let go
- fear of unknown subtler levels or fear of losing the "I" of known levels
- lack of trust in the inner Master
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