study guide for

The Mystic Vision

How to Use This Course

This video is part of an ongoing monthly series in the teachings of Sri Eknath Easwaran. The talks on this tape, like all of Easwaran’s talks, are rich and deep in content. They shed light on many aspects of life, but their true value emerges as we try to apply their teachings in our daily lives.

The Guide is meant to be used in conjunction with a daily practice of Sri Easwaran’s Eight Point Program, based on passage meditation. We do not recommend following the Practical Exercises if you are not practicing this program according to the instructions given in Easwaran’s book Meditation, which can be found on our Web site, www.nilgiri.org. A brief list of those points can be found at the back of this Guide.

The Practical Exercises are suggestions for you to explore as they seem appropriate in your life. If you are already familiar with Easwaran’s books, you will have seen some of these exercises before. But we suggest that you take this opportunity to really put them into practice, and discover their great power to deepen your spiritual life. Try them in moderation, exercising your common sense and not taking them to extreme lengths. Sri Easwaran always emphasized the importance of the middle path.

Before watching each talk, we suggest that you read through the notes (especially the Outline of the Talk, which will help you assimilate the overall structure), and the Practical Exercise.

Then, after watching the talk, try to put the exercise into action in your life. A week or so later, you may find it interesting to watch the talk again, with the experience of the exercise fresh in your mind. You may want to note the results in a journal.

A week-by-week curriculum for studying this tape, in coordination with readings from Sri Easwaran’s books, is available for use by Blue Mountain Center Satsangs, and other interested individuals. If you would like to receive this curriculum via email, just let us know and we will gladly send it to you. A full listing of our Satsang groups is available on our Web site. For more information about this series, other publications of Sri Easwaran and Nilgiri Press, and a schedule of retreats based on the Eight Point Program, please contact

Blue Mountain Center of Meditation
Post Office Box 256
Tomales, CA 94971
800 475 2369
www.nilgiri.org

Only God I Saw

Introduction

The two talks on this videotape give a soaring portrait of the mystical life. The first, “Only God I Saw,” given in summer 1980, points us toward the climactic experience of seeing the divine core of our personality. Sri Easwaran says that the purpose of life is to discover this divinity, and then to bring our character, conduct, and consciousness into harmony with it. We can begin this effort now, and gradually prepare ourselves for the final discovery.

If the core of our real personality is divine, as the mystics promise, then our true Self, our real “I”, remains free from all troubles. That is why spiritual disciplines can heal some of the knottiest of our personal problems. Meditation, the mantram, and the other allied disciplines gradually bring us closer to this divine core, and we find ourselves less and less troubled by life’s passing allurements and difficulties, more and more able to act compassionately and effectively to help others.

Sri Easwaran gives several practical hints on how to do this. First, deepen your practice of the mantram to center your consciousness more on the divine. Second, learn

to see the unity of life by putting others first. To illustrate this point, he quotes the passage by the Sufi mystic Baba Kuhi, “Only God I Saw,” and gives many practical tips for how this mystic vision can be not just seen but lived in the midst of the complexities of daily life.

^{Outline of the Talk}

Sri Easwaran begins by introducing the theme that our personality is divine at its core. He uses several pas-
sages from Christian and Sufi mystics to illustrate this vision, and to give directions in how to discover it.

_* He quotes the sixteenth-century German mystic Hans Denck: “The Kingdom of God is in you, and he who searches for it outside himself will never find it . . . Men flee from Thee and say they cannot find Thee; they turn their backs and say they cannot see Thee; they stop their ears and say they cannot hear Thee.”

_* The Sufi Al-Hasan Al-Basri provides a key to deepening practice – to train the mind to dwell on the Divine by using the Holy Name, or mantram. Sri Easwaran compares this experience of absorbed attention to the Krishna and Radha story from the Hindu tradition.

_* In the next section of the talk, Sri Easwaran comments at length on the poem by the Sufi mystic Baba Kuhi, “Only God I Saw.” To prepare us for the poem, he explains in philosophical terms that as we unify our desires, we start to perceive that “There is only One here really; there is only One masquerading as many.” The universe itself is the outward and visible expression of the Real – that is, of God – while the Real stands as the inner reality of the universe.

_* To make this more easily grasped he goes on to give many illustrations, drawn from nature and personal experience, of how this experience of unity is perceived.

_* An anecdote from the life of Sri Ramakrishna and a story about two boys with their pastries (ladhus) illustrate the artistry which this vision requires of us. Seeing the Divine in everyone does not mean letting people do whatever they want, regardless of the consequences. Learning to help people overcome their weaknesses helps us see the divine core in them and ourselves.

_* Anecdotes about a local town (Valley Ford) and about a fruit vendor who had heard Sri Easwaran speak at a nearby junior college give more examples of seeing the unity underlying the diversity of life. Other stories about animals direct us to see the unity between us and animals as well as people.

_* Sri Easwaran concludes the talk by reminding us that this divine core of personality is eternal. When we dis-cover it, we rise above the physical level of consciousness and go beyond death.

Practical Exercise:
Praying Without Ceasing

Sri Easwaran quotes a passage by the tenth-century Sufi teacher Hasan of Basra, in which God says: “When my servant becomes altogether occupied with Me, then I make his happiness and delight consist in remembering Me.” We can practice this, Sri Easwarn says, by means of all the points on the Eight Point Program – but especially by means of the mantram. “Wherever I get time, even now,” he says, “I keep repeating the mantram.” With long practice, the mind becomes free from all negative thinking because, Sri Easwaran says, “ the mind is repeating the mantram all the time.”

This state – when one repeats the mantram so constantly that it starts repeating itself – is known in India as ajapajapa, or in the Christian tradition as “praying without ceasing.” Sometime this week, try to use the mantram continuously, without a single break, for a full half hour. It may be while doing a repetitive chore like housecleaning, or while exercising, or before bed. But really make the effort to keep the mantram going and not let your mind wander away.

You may want to note the results in your journal. If you find it useful, you might consider making this special ajapajapa time a regular feature of your week.

Recommended Reading

Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living:

Volume 2 commentary on Chapter 12, verse 20.

Volume 3 commentary on Chapter 14, verse 24.

Suggested Passages for Meditation

Baba Kuhi, “Only God I Saw.”

St. Patrick, “Christ Be With Me.”

A New Year’s Message

Introduction

In the second talk on this video, given just before the New Year in 1978, Sri Easwaran challenges us to renew our commitment and build our life around the mystic vision we heard about in the first talk. Here he is commenting on a popular Indian scripture, the Thousand Names of the Lord, in which every name has a practical application to the spiritual life.

He starts and ends with the name Shubhanga. Subha means “auspicious, beautiful, good, happy, secure, selfless.” And anga means “limb.” So the name Shubhanga refers to one who is beautiful in all aspects. When we start using our arms and hands for helping and supporting those around us, our life becomes fulfilling and beautiful. Similarly the eyes: “When we are kind at heart, our eyes are kind . . . Every part of the human system can be used for kindness, for love, for peace, and for unity.”

Finally, combined with regular practice of inner disciplines like meditation, this loving service of others leads to the climax of the spiritual life. “When the mind becomes still,” Sri Easwaran says, “when self-will is extinguished, then we discover our real Self, who is the Lord of Love – call him Krishna, or call him the Christ.” Therefore he urges us to be regular in the practice of meditation, take advantage of every occasion to repeat the mantram, and, he adds, “Don’t lose a day; don’t lose a moment . . . Once you have realized the Self, you will never be lonely. Not only will you shed light on your own path. You will also begin to shed light on the paths of everyone around you.”

In this “New Year’s Message” talk Sri Easwaran reveals what he views as the very secret of happiness, and of unshakable security: selflessness, which leads to realizing the Self. He says, “This is how beauty comes.”

Outline of the Talk

This talk is essentially a commentary on several of the Thousand Names of the Lord:

_* Shubhanga: True beauty is found in selflessness; if we behave selflessly, we will become beautiful limbs of God. But this is not limited to physical beauty. It is not enough if our physical attributes are attractive. True beauty requires us to be good, kind, secure, and selfless. Here he quotes Albert Einstein: “I am happy because I want nothing from anyone, and I do not care for money. Decorations, titles, or distinctions mean nothing to me. I do not crave praise.” In these four sentences, Sri Easwaran says, Einstein has given us the secret of happiness, security, and beauty.

_* Lokasaranga: God knows our true essence. When we know that the Lord of Love is enshrined in our hearts, how can we ever feel unworthy or unloved? Sri Easwaran assures us that the awareness that the Lord of Love resides in all of us can come through sincere practice of meditation and the allied disciplines. Key to this is stilling the mind, the climax of meditation.

_* Indrakarman: Bodily life disappears at death like an object in a magic trick, but if we identify ourselves with the Self, we know we will not disappear when the body dies.

He then comments on a passage from Epictetus, comparing detached behavior in life to good manners at a banquet.

And back to the Names of the Lord:

_* Kritakarman: The most important job we have to do in life is to become aware of the Self, and thus of the needs of all

Practical Exercise:
The Stuff Life Is Made Of

This talk is permeated with Sri Easwaran’s marvelous sense of urgency. We must take care, he says, not only to use our free time for activities that contribute to our spiritual growth. It is equally important to avoid misusing our time. He quotes Benjamin Franklin: “Dost thou love life? Then do not squander your time, for that is the stuff life is made of.” We should always be on the lookout for time that we can spend in “discovering the Self, and going beyond death here on this earth.” Making a lot of money, or enjoying a great deal of pleasure, are not our true job in life. Our job is to realize the Self.

Take some time this week to reflect on how you spent your time during the past year and how you would like to spend your time during the coming year. Make two lists:

1. Personal activities which do not benefit others, and on which you might easily spend less time (some examples: watching TV, browsing magazines or newspapers, surfing the internet).

2. Activities that would contribute to your spiritual practice (some examples: taking a mantram walk, spending ime with your family, giving some extra time to co-workers, spiritual reading).

Choose one item from the first list and spend one hour less time on it during the next two weeks. Instead, devote that time to an item on the second list. At the end of the two weeks, stop to reflect on how this experiment affected your life and your outlook on yourself. Keep the list in mind as you go through the coming months and look for any opportunity to reduce the time spent on the first and increase the time on the second.

It is important to proceed slowly and gradually with this exercise. Don’t try to change everything at once. Small changes for the better, made regularly, add up to a tremendous force over time.

^{Recommended Reading}

Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living:

Volume 3 commentary on Chapter 18, Verses 57–58.

Take Your Time:

Chapter Two, “Ask ‘What is Important?’”

Suggested Passages for Meditation

St. Teresa, “You Are Christ’s Hands.”

The Upanishads, “Invocations.”

Terms & References

ajapajapa The Holy Name (mantram) repeating itself in the consciousness of the devotee without effort on his part. Known in the Christian tradition as “praying without ceasing.”

anga Limb.

Atman “Self”; the innermost soul in every creature, which is divine.

Baba Kuhi of Shiraz Eleventh-century Sufi mystic.

Basrah Al Basrah, a city in Iraq.

Blake, William (1757–1827) English poet and mystic.

Charles A cat that lived at Ramagiri Ashram.

Denck, Hans (1495–1527) German mystic.

Epictetus (55–135) Greek philosopher.

fana Extinction of the separate self and awakening to the presence of God.

Al-Hasan al-basri (642–728) One of the earliest Sufis.

Hebbles A dog that lived at Ramagiri Ashram.

Indra Chief of the Hindu gods.

Indrajala [literally, “Indra’s net”] Magic.

Jenner A local town at the mouth of the Russian River.

Kerala The South Indian state from which Sri Easwaran came.

Kripa The name of Sri Easwaran’s residence at Ramagiri Ashram.

Krishna [from krish “to draw to oneself”] In Hinduism, the Lord of Love who dwells in the hearts of all.

ladhu A sweet pastry popular in north India.

Laurel’s Kitchen A vegetarian cookbook written at Ramagiri Ashram.

lila Game; the divine play of the Lord disguising himself as the many beings of this world.

Little Lamp Journal of the Blue Mountain Center from 1961 to 1994.

Loka World.

Lucky’s A grocery store.

mahamayavin The great magician.

mahout A story told by the Bengali mystic Sri Ramakrishna: a spiritual aspirant learned from his teacher that God lives in every creature. When he encountered a mad elephant, ridden by a mahout who warned him to run away, he just stood in front of it with hands folded. The elephant injured him badly. Later his teacher asked him what happened. The aspirant replied, “You taught us that we should respect God in every creature.” The teacher replied, “God lives in the mahout as well – why didn’t you respect the mahout-God?”

maya Illusion; appearance, as contrasted with Reality. The creative power of the Lord.

Muka A dog that lived at Ramagiri Ashram.

nirvana [nir “out”; vana “to blow”] Complete extinction of self-will and separateness; realization of the unity of all life.

payasam An Indian dessert pudding, usually served at feasts.

Radha In the stories of Sri Krishna, the milkmaid who is Sri Krishna’s beloved while he lives in Vrindavan. She represents the human soul seeking the divine Beloved.

Ramakrishna (1836–1886) Bengali mystic.

Ramdas (1884–1963) South Indian saint.

sadhana A body of disciplines or way of life which leads to the
supreme goal of Self-realization.

samadhi Union with the Lord; a state of intense concentration in which consciousness is completely unified.

samskara A personality trait conditioned over a long period; mental and behavioral pattern; a latency or tendency within the mind which will manifest itself if given the proper environment and stimulus.

sara Essence.

Shankara A Hindu saint and philosopher of the sixth or seventh
century ad.

Spinoza (1632–1677) Philosopher.

shubhanga Auspicious limb.

shubha Auspicious.

Sufi A Muslim mystic.

Thousand Names of the Lord Popular Indian scripture. See Eknath Easwaran’s translation and commentary, The Constant Companion.

Upanishads Ancient mystical documents found at the end of each of the four Vedas, the central texts of Hinduism.

vijnana The skillful capacity to apply spiritual understanding to the challenges of daily life.

Whoosh A cat that lived at Ramagiri Ashram.

The Eight Point Program

1. Meditation

2. The mantram

3. Slowing down

4. One-pointed attention

5. Training the senses

6. Putting others first

7. Spiritual companionship

8. Reading the mystics