Vivekachudamani 358

उपाधिभेदात्स्वयमेव भिद्यते
चोपाध्यपोहे स्वयमेव केवलः ।
तस्मादुपाधेर्विलयाय विद्वान्
वसेत्सदाकल्पसमाधिनिष्ठया ॥ ३५८ ॥

upādhibhedātsvayameva bhidyate
copādhyapohe svayameva kevalaḥ | 
tasmādupādhervilayāya vidvān
vasetsadākalpasamādhiniṣṭhayā ||
(Sankaracarya's Vivekachudamani 358)

By association with conditioning adjuncts, the many, a person is apt to think of the Self as full of diversity; but by removing these one gains one‘s own Immutable Self. Hence, until the dissolution of conditioning, let the wise person remain devoted to the practice of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.

Nirvikalpa samadhi is the highest samadhi that most realized spiritual Masters attain. It lasts for a few hours or a few days, and then one has to come down. When one comes down, what happens? Very often one forgets his own name and age; one cannot speak or think properly. But through continued practice, gradually one becomes able to come down from nirvikalpa samadhi and immediately function in a normal way.

Generally, when one enters into nirvikalpa samadhi, one does not want to come back into the world again. If one stays there for eighteen or twenty-one days, there is every possibility that the soul will leave the body for good. There were spiritual Masters in the hoary past who attained nirvikalpa samadhi and did not come down. They attained their highest samadhi, but found it impossible to enter into the world atmosphere again and work like human beings.

One cannot operate in the world while in that state of consciousness; it is simply impossible. But there is a divine dispensation. If the Supreme wants a particular soul to work here on earth, even after twenty-one or twenty-two days, the Supreme can take that individual into was another channel of dynamic, divine consciousness and have him return to the earth-plane to act. Sahaja samadhi is by far the highest type of samadhi. In this samadhi one is in the highest consciousness but, at the same time, one is able to work in the gross physical world.

One maintains the experience of nirvikalpa samadhi while simultaneously entering into earthly activities. One has become the soul and, at the same time, is utilizing the body as a perfect instrument. In sahaja samadhi one does the usual things that an ordinary human being does. But in the inmost recesses of the heart one is surcharged with divine illumination. When one has this sahaja samadhi, one becomes the Lord and Master of Reality. One can go at his sweet will to the Highest and then come down to the earth-consciousness to manifest.

Even after achieving the highest type of realization, on very rare occasions is anyone blessed with sahaja samadhi. Very few spiritual Masters have achieved this state. For sahaja samadhi, the Supreme's infinite Grace is required. Sahaja samadhi comes only when one has established inseparable oneness with the Supreme, or when one wants to show, on rare occasions, that he is the Supreme. He who has achieved sahaja samadhi and remains in this samadhi, consciously and perfectly manifests God at every second and is thus the greatest pride of the Transcendental Supreme.

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