Once a Disciple asked The Master, "Where is our Hridayam and what is the Realisation all about?"
The Master's say, "Hridayam is a Sanskrit word that typically translates to “heart” or “that which nourishes and heals the heart.” The word also means “The Soul,” “true/divine knowledge” and “essence (of something)".
Hrit means 'The Truth or Salvation' and Ayam means 'Unbounded or Eternal'. That is, Hridayam is the Unbounded, abundant Truth. It is by reaching here that we realise Eternal Salvation.
The Hridayam has nothing to do physically, it is spiritual. Hridayam is the centre. In our existence there are two parts to the life, one below eye center with the mind and sense organs. The other above the eye center, the spiritual path.
The Hridayam is the centre of all, 'that from which the beings come into existence'. It is from here our life starts and ends."
The Disciple further asked, "How can we realise the Heart?"
The Master's say, "There is no one in the world who has failed to experience the Hridayam or The Soul. It is just that they do not realise its significance or awake towards it. No one can claim that we stand apart from The Soul. We are, nothing but the Soul. The Soul is the Hridayam.
In deep sleep we exist, while awake we are there, and The Soul is present in both states. The difference is only in our awareness and the non awareness of the world. Our world rises with the mind and sets down with the mind.
We need to Realise that, 'that which rises and sets down' can not be our Soul. An awakened Soul gives rise to the mind, sustains it on Bhakti maarg and orients it towards The Lord. The Soul or Hridayam is the underlying principle. The Master always points to the eye center, and says it is here we need to collect our scattered consciousness. The Master has involuntarily pointed out the Spot where our awakened Consciousness dwells. By reaching here, we Realise The Soul.
But those who have not Realised are lost in the worldly wandering because they confuse the mind and the body with the Soul. This confusion is due to wrong knowledge. Elimination of wrong knowledge is alone needed. Such elimination finally results in Realisation."
The Disciple asked, "How can we control the mind?"
The Master's say, "Awaken your Soul. Awake your consciousness, you will know What is mind? Whose is the mind?
It is the nature of the mind to wander, but awakened consciousness allows the mind to wander in the Bhakti Maarg. Since, you are The Soul and not the mind, springing up and sinking down of mind does not affect you. It is impermanent, transitory, whereas The Soul is eternal. So our target should be the source, then the mind will leave the Soul unaffected."
The Disciple, "Does that mean, we need not seek to control the mind?
The Master's say, "Mind is there, till our Soul is asleep and unaware of its true potential. Once The Soul is Realised there is no mind to control. The mind immerses itself in Bhakti, and the Soul shines forth.
In the realised man the mind may be active or inactive, The Soul alone remains for him. For the mind, the body and the world are not separate from the Self.
We need to understand the true purpose of this life, It is for Re-Union with The Lord. For this to happen, our Hridayam should be filled with The Naama given by The Master. It is through the Antar Simran of The Naama that we express our desire for union with The Lord. By The Master's Grace, we are ready to unravel The Absolute Truth and attain Eternal Moksha."
This life is a great opportunity for us to enrich our Hridayam with the flowers of Naama. It is The Naama and The Naama Bhakti that will please The Lord. Let us do Naama Bhakti and wait for The Lord to Grace our Hridayam permanently.
Authored by K. Giri
