Two Paths – One Goal
Shikha Tulshan
Aurangabad (CSN)
Hari Aum!
This year, Holi celebration was different, as just one day before, Her Holiness Guru Maa Purnananda ji inspired the connect within, through an online Call Talk, “The Neti & Iti of Vedant”, exploding the joyous colors of Divine within and without. My pranaam at the Holy Feet and immense gratitude to Chaitanya ji, as I humbly attempt to express my understanding of the profound topic, which I was always keen to learn.
I am sagun (with qualities), but Brahman is Nirgun, I am saakar (with form) but Brahman is Niraakar, I am with vishesh (with attributes), but Brahman is Nirvisheshah. I am conditioned but Brahman is Unconditioned. Whatever I perceive through my sense organs, or do with my organs of action, or feel with my mind, nay, even think with my intellect till the farthest horizon thinkable, all becomes the object of perception, and HE is beyond any kind of perception! So will I ever be able to know the Supreme? Or come to be That, with my present conditionings? it seems impossible! But here, Maa lovingly assured that with the divine blessings of Sree Guru Parampara on the seeker who is committed to know, who comes under Their shelter is guided towards that which seems impossible. Through the paths of Neti & Iti of Vedant, our revered Saints have given us this highest rationale supported by the softness of devotion. Together this becomes the path for a seeker to reach his/her goal.
But what is the path of ‘Neti’ and what is ‘Iti’? Maa made us understand this very easily by giving us an example of a child having to choose an orange, which he has never seen before, from a basket of mixed fruits. Here, using his rationale he removes all that he knows (grapes, bananas, apples) to be left behind with that which he doesn’t know (orange) and lo! That’s how he knows! This is Neti and this is how it is applied even in Vedant as well. To eliminate all that I can perceive, with an understanding that it cannot be the ‘Unperceivable’, and having negated all that, to reach and wait at the final gateway is the path of Neti. Very beautifully shown by the Saint child - Balak Dhruv, who is in the search of His Lord, guided by the supreme Teacher Sree Narad Bhagwaan Himself, layer by layer rejects all conditionings till he reaches the innermost core.
Iti is, when with direct knowledge, the Seer is blessed with the vision to see everything as none other than HIM. As He knows that even the reflection cannot be, if HE dint exist! This is also beautifully depicted by another Saint child from our rich treasure of Puranas - Sree Prahlad, who could only see His beloved Lord Sree Vishnu ji everywhere and not a single point where HE is not!
In both the paths, Devotion in heart forms the mainstay.
But again, for the conditioned ones like us, when we sit to meditate and in the process negate everything that we identify with – our world around, our relations, status, acquisitions, our own body, mind, feelings, thoughts, even our own existence, can make us fall into the dark abyss of nothingness; which can be very fearful. At the same time while taking to the path of Iti, it can be easy to accept all Divine and beautiful things and beings around as the Lord’s reflection, but difficult to see the Divine in the evil minded, and hence this can lead to selective acceptance and further conditioning. Thus, instead of benefitting from the paths, we could succumb to the pitfalls and remain deluded!
Foreseeing this, our revered Rishis teach us to accept Jagat as mithya. They introduced the intermediate worship or Sagun Upasana of the Form Manifest of the Un-manifest through different Religions. But again, due to past habits, we tend to get attached to one Form and get conditioned here also.
So where is the respite? It is only by praying to Lord, Who may answer our prayers by bringing us into the fold of Sree Sadguru, Who alone can wade us safely through the paths of Neti & Iti, both of which lead to the same Goal. Step by step Sree Guru (Who is like the Sun to the lotus of Vedant knowledge) makes us blossom into it
Blessed are we to come under the Holy grace of Sree Guru Parampara at SISS, the one anchor to save us from all the pitfalls while in search of the mystic Unknown.
I pray to be worthy of Their service to seek blessings on my journey.
My humble prostrations to Guru Maa and to Chaitanya ji for beaconing me on this difficult path so effortlessly.
Hari Aum Tat Sat!