My Key Takeaways for Empowering My Antahkaran
Sumedha
Chh. Sambhaji Nagar
Hari Aum!
Rediscovering oneself is the purpose of human life. The process and practices required for this rediscovery is called Sadhna. And the core Sadhna for any sadhak to begin with, is to work upon one’s own Antahkaran - the inner equipment. Close association with The Divine, with The Guru, with The Supreme power, for sure aids in empowering this antahkaran.
The five verse Stotra, Sree Meenakshi Pancharatnam by Sree Adi Shankaracharya ji, (talked about here) helps in seeking the blessings of compassion, from the compassionate Mother Goddess Meenakshi (one of the forms of Devi Parvati), to empower my antahkaran. In this vast ocean of sansaar, the benevolent glance of Mother Goddess Meenakshi, blesses me with empowerment for purifying and enlivening my inner equipment.
With faith, love and devotion one needs to seek.
When this antahkaran is guided to be empowered by The Divine grace, then it becomes the right equipment for worldly as well as spiritual pursuits. But if not, then it stays in the loop of getting empowered by one’s own ego and getting slaughtered each day, each life by one’s own inherent lower tendencies.
Each one understands according to one’s own inherent tendencies. So, only when the antahkaran is activated (by empowering it with higher knowledge) to think high, think clear and think aptly, then it becomes the desired instrument to give effective, long-lasting results.
What is antahkaran?
अंतः – inner, उपकरण - equipment
‘Mann, Buddhi, Chitt, Ahankaar’ constitute the four facets of the antahkaran.
The Sattvik aspect of the three gunas of the five Great Elements (Panch Mahabhoot) put together constitutes the antahkaran and individually they create the organs of perception. Also, they are associated closely with ’i’ the individual - The software inside this body (the hardware).
This software is of use for the individual for internal transformation as well as to interact with the world in multiple ways. When there is contamination with Rajas and Tamas, then the thoughts and perceptions get distorted.
The individual’s transformation depends on whether he/she empowers oneself by one’s own impure and impulsive egocentric tendencies or by the guidance of Guru, by teachings of the Shastras - one empowers it with Divinity. One needs to become introverted by proper understanding. As a sadhak, it is my duty and responsibility to improve my own antahkaran.
“उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥” (6.5)
“The Self is the friend of the self for him who has conquered himself by the Self; but to the unconquered self, this Self stands in the position of an enemy like the (external) foe.”
Sadhna is to achieve the Greater. Uplifting myself by myself, with the knowledge from Scriptures and guidance of the Guru. A sadhak needs to keep the antahkaran as Sattvik as possible. Generally, the five aspects of perception and four aspects of antahkaran is made extremely extroverted towards the external world. This extroverted antahkaran cannot be empowered suddenly. There is a systematic and scientific way to do it.
Firstly, since I the individual has always been controlled by my maligned antahkaran, my perception will also be distorted. Therefore, I need to understand and see how the Gurus perceive the world and what & how the Scriptures command. I also need to be unbiased and open minded about the perceptions of others. My way is always probably not the right way!
Taking refuge under a Sadguru who can directly guide me, and I wholeheartedly accept the path or guidance shown by Him, leaving my doubts behind, then treading the path becomes righteous as well as easy for me. Confusions and doubts in the teachings of the Guru, will bring in hurdles and obstacles in mending my antahkaran. The overwhelmed mind becomes a weak tool. The Rishis and Saints have given us volumes of Scriptures. Reading and learning them under one’s own Sadguru will clarify my perception and uplift my views, and hence I will have sufficient control over my inner equipment.
For taking control, I will first have to decide, then make a resolve and finally act upon the resolve. When I act with faith and sincerity, the Guru will guide me in the right direction. And with that guidance, I will have to act fearlessly, with full faith in the words of the Guru.
Before I can act on my antahkaran, I must strengthen it. Every moment, with distractions and dissipation, it becomes weak. Strength comes with regular and sincere Upasana. Upasana helps to seal the numerous holes of this inner equipment, and thus, the Divine grace fills up in the antahkaran. One needs to strengthen one’s antahkaran by remaining disciplined in one’s upasana, so that the divinity remains intact in him, without any dissipation. One should try harder till one reaches the goal. Lapses, laziness and indisciplined ways of doing Upasana can be many. But the upasak must be steady in the resolve. The purpose of Upasana should be atma-shuddhi, which will strengthen the antahkaran and ultimately with time it gets empowered. One needs to be very vigilant. Due to the distractions not only from the outer world, but also because of one’s own antahkaran’s quality, there may be dissipations.
The mind gets pleasure and the intellect gets satisfaction. And one keeps filling up the store house (the chitta) adding to the already existing stuff of knowledge of various kinds.
So, to get the right channel to make my reflecting surface calm and reflective of the Divine, one should develop single pointed concentrated focus with proper guidance, thus fulfilling the purpose of sadhana. Also, while doing this sadhna, one has to be cautious and careful not to intensify the ego.
Taking refuge in the Sadguru removes the ego and ignorance, giving the sadhak the right empowerment.
Then The Divinity rules his life!
Hari Aum!