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The Flight to Infinity - Swami Swaroopananda

From the form to the Formless

The essence of Indian classical dance and music is their intrinsic spirituality. They are capable of transporting both the artiste as well as the audience to the heights of divine joy and bliss. The meditative quality of the art is a sadhana, a practice, to gain the Infinite.

There are various types of dances. The kinds of dances performed in nightclubs generally evoke emotions of lust and excitement. The movements are largely uncoordinated, random and wild, with little rhythm and logic. They may give some form of enjoyment but neither does the dancer require years of preparation and concentration nor do the spectators attain any peace. On the other hand, an Indian classical dance such as Bharatanatyam enchants and quietens the mind. There is a certain harmony in the coordination of the eyes, the gestures of the hand, the beating of the feet, and the movements of the body. It requires regular and sustained practice to achieve such synchronized and attentive concentration.

Unfortunately, our thinking is like a wild dance; there is no sense, coordination, rhythm, or harmony in the movement of one thought to another. However, the medium of classical dance captivates the mind so, that concentration is totally on the divine theme, the graceful movements and the delightful emotions that the dancer portrays. This is akin to a type of savikalpa samadhi; the dancer enchants the mind through her or his movements and invokes feelings of such devotion that it is totally centered on the dancer and perceives nothing else.

Little do we understand that the dancer through the medium of dance indicates something else. Our attention is on the dancer and the flowing, divine movements but all the movements are to enable us to be aware of the unmoving locus where the dance is taking place. Space is all-pervading but we fail to recognize it. The ultimate idea of the dance is not to show the movement but to reveal the unmoving steady space, to enable a shift of consciousness from the form to the Formless.

Similarly in paintings of Japanese art, a simple bamboo shoot on the canvas can transport a person into the infinite space revealed by the painter. It is a divine experience in which the artist shifts the mind’s attention from the present environment to the painting, focusing it on the branch, leaf or bamboo shoot, eventually revealing the all-existing canvas – the all-pervading substratum of the painting.

From individuality to Totality

In folk dance there is a monotonous rhythm but once one gets lost in it, unlike modern dancing, which is individualistic, it is total. In the spirit of the dance you forget your individuality; your hands start moving automatically with the same rhythm and you become one with the whole group. The dandia can be most hazardous because you can hit somebody’s hand or head but nobody hurts another as all flow in a rhythm of joy and totality. Everything just flows naturally; it is meditation.

From Sound to Silence

As the musicians perform, the mind’s attention is on the sweetness and the gentleness of the sounds. A divine theme does not invoke negativities of lust and greed but brings the mind to a state of purity; it invokes devotion in the heart and the mind becomes serene and quiet.

Again, the sound of the music is to communicate the silence between the two beats or the subtle pause between two notes and takes you to a state of peace beyond the sound. A good drummer or a singer is able to unconsciously shift the attention from the drumbeat or the song to a realm of meditation, of utter silence.

In the beautiful Raas Leela, the gopis have nothing but Krishna in their minds; when they approach Him, they start dancing around Him, vitalized by His presence. It appears that there is a Krishna in between each gopi, between each note, between each beat; between each thought there is Consciousness shining through. Move the mind’s attention from the rhythm of sounds and thoughts to the silent center and see Krishna standing steady without any movement whatsoever. It is this Krishna Consciousness that peeps through every thought in the Self, the Atma. When Radha, the jivaatma, leaves the circle of thoughts and moves towards the center she becomes one with the Infinite.

From the Mantra to Infinity

In meditation, the mantra is most effective in drawing the mind from all outer attractive and tempting forms; from all the desires of clothes, jewelry, cars and money; from the clamour of the house to the form of the Lord. The repetitive music of the mantra centers the mind on the mantra or the form and one reaches the state of savikalpa samadhi where the mind is totally focused on the sound, rhythm and music of the mantra. As the mind gets immersed in it, it gradually moves from the words and sounds to the silence between the words.

Having reached this state, just remain there, don’t classify it, don’t judge it, and don’t say, "I have attained Bliss". It is not how long it is but how deep it is. In that silence of Bliss, bundles of impressions are burnt down and in that white heat of meditation the inherent tendencies of millions of lifetimes get roasted, never to sprout again.

If thoughts come, look at them and say, "These are My glory; the whole creation is My glory. They are in Me, I am not in them". Remain unaffected by the thoughts; be merely a witness to them, no matter how beautiful, ugly or dirty they are. The Atma may look polluted because of its reflection in the dirty mind, but just as the sun remains pure even though it appears to be contaminated in the muddy pool, it is the jiva that is appearing as a sinner and not the Atma. Recognize that Witness of all the thoughts.

The rishis have proclaimed, "Tat tvam Asi – You are That". Enquire – who am I? I cannot be this bundle of flesh, which is made up of constantly changing, decaying, and perishing matter. I am the Knower of the past, present and future. The body has perished over the years; the body is not the Knower. My senses are not the Knower; in the dream there are no senses, no eyes or ears. I am without eyes; I am without ears; I am that Knower, who is not the senses. I am aware of all the thoughts of my mind; I am the witness of all. I am peace – Shantam. Peace is auspicious; therefore, Shivam and that which is auspicious, pure, and silent is beautiful – Sundaram, Shivoham…Shivoham…. that peace, that purity, that beauty I am – Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram.

This is not possible without the insight given by the Teachers and the Scriptures. The mantras are not to be mechanically repeated but the mind has to turn to the Truth that is being indicated. Until the realization that this is one’s natural state, one has to go back into meditation again and again to experience that Bliss. The purpose of the Rishis was not for you to gain another experience but to discover that, "You are Bliss." Unless this knowledge takes place, meditation is not complete. Meditation is not a practice; it is the natural state of our own being. It is not a thought but the constant awareness that affirms, "I am that pure Existence; I am that Consciousness; I am Bliss; I am Infinite."

This is a continuous state called Sahaja Samadhi. You see His glory everywhere. You begin to see the Lord with thousands of hands and faces and recognize that this entire universe is just a part of His glory. And when you need a change, withdraw into meditation and become one with the Infinite.

See the world as the glory of the Lord and use it for His worship, like Guru Nanak, who declared that he would use the whole sky as a platter; the sun and moon as lamps; the stars as jewels and all forests as flowers to worship the Lord.

If one looks at the world with this attitude, there is nothing binding or troublesome in the world. The whole world becomes His glory and an instrument to be used in His worship. When the mind revels in His glory and sees beauty everywhere, it becomes pure. The pure mind understands the words of the Teacher, holds on with firm faith, turns in the right direction, gains an insight and sees the Truth as one’s own Self.

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