Asatoma Sadagamaya
Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya
Mrityorma AmritamgamayaLord, lead me from unreality to reality,
from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge,
from the fear of death to the abode of immortality."Jnana” means knowledge. Jnana Yoga is the path that begins with the intellect and leads to knowledge of the Self. When the Self is known, everything else is known, just as when gold is known, everything made out of gold is known. Only the names and forms change. Then the question "Who am I?” is answered.
Jnana Yoga is the yoga of right enquiry based on Vedanta16 philosophy which states that there is only Brahman, the one without a second.
The Rishis, who have enquired into the nature of the world, have discovered that the ultimate cause of all that exists is Brahman, the supreme, all-pervading consciousness. The whole universe is but an effect of Brahman like heat is an effect of fire. Yet this one appears to be many through the illusory power of Maya. Maya has no reality, no independent existence. Our so-called reality is but a misreading of Brahman that comes from the limited equipment of body, mind, intellect and ego through which we function. When the knowledge of the Self dawns, Maya looses its power and the One is experienced. Only the experience of this truth can bring ultimate freedom and liberation.
In order to reach that state of enlightenment, where there is complete identification with the higher self and where you abide in your real nature, the mind has to be endowed with specific qualities. It has to be fit for subtle analysis, to be pure and steady. Those who take this path constantly strive to find the truth beyond the appearances by asking questions like "Who am I? What am I? Where did I come from? What is the goal and purpose of life? What is the purpose of human embodiment? What happens after death? What is the absolute reality? What is it that underlies the apparent multiplicity?”
Who is going to ask these kinds of questions? It is quite likely those who have explored to a great extent the material world of prosperity, name, fame, pleasure and who emerged with a feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction, with the conviction that there must be more to life than this material world; or those who reflected on the life of individuals like King Salomon or the emperor of China who reached the pinnacle of pleasure, wealth and prosperity, yet at the end of their lives felt empty and unfulfilled.
Only when you come to a clear understanding that fulfillment is not to be found in the material world, will you strive to find the truth beyond appearances. Then you will become restless and obsessed by this quest. You will feel trapped and imprisoned in this world. You will feel the need to seek guidance from a Guru who has traveled that path and who can show you the way to realization of the Self. This means realizing that you are not this body, you are not this mind and you are not this ego. You are one with this ocean of consciousness, one with the Father. You are Divine.
Until a person reaches that point where he sees the illusory nature of this world, questions such as "Who am I?” "What am I?” will only relate to the outer covering, which is body, mind and the ego which keeps human beings in a limited state of identification. That is why for the majority, the goal and purpose of life is to pursue happiness in the external world of sensual pleasure, material prosperity and relationships, which is like running after the horizon or quenching one’s thirst with the water of a mirage.
Extract from Yogi Hari's book "Sampoorna Yoga"