Seven States to Self-realization.

The states one passes through in the long practice of Brahmacharya (which can extend to many births until final liberation) are depicted in the states that the Jiva (individual) undergoes at the evolutionary level. Briefly described below are the seven stages to liberation in conformity with the Upanishads:

I. With proper thought, actions and speech, one waits upon the virtuous. From every conceivable source, he tries to gather the 'Shâstrâ-s'(scriptures) and studies them with dedication. Whoever has thus developed an urge from within to cross this trans-migratory life of 'Samsâra' (dualistic world) and achieve self-realization has reached this first stage denoting the start of Yoga. The rest are only Arya (noble) and not Yogis. The first stage is sweet and ambrosial further to the satisfaction and joy that attend to it. Just having stepped into the path of Yoga, there is much happiness. This stage is the internal, cleansed birth place of the following stages.

II. Coming to the second stage of Yoga called 'Vichara' (inquiry & analysis), the sadhaka (aspirant) resorts to the views of the finest saints or yogis, well known for their interpretations of the 'Smriti' (knowledge gained from read material) and 'Sruti' (knowledge gained from heard material) with good conduct, rapt attention, contemplation and analysis on what has been learnt. Having perceived the truth from the different categories of scriptures and having taken in their essence, the sadhaka becomes clear of what is to be done and what is to be avoided. As a snake sheds its skin, he sheds even the slightest attachment to material objects when assailed by pride, conceit, intolerance, greed and delusion.

III. The third stage is the mental disposition of 'Vairagya' (non-attachment). Fixing his mind on the essence absorbed from the scriptures with devotion and reverence to his teachers, he makes his mind placid with contemplation and meditation on their essence. As a result of his meritorious actions, the pious sadhaka spends his time on the delights of detachment, reverting back to the essence of the scriptures often. The sadhaka realizes for himself that one's perception of reality becomes clear only in due course.

Vairagya (non-attachment) is of two kinds -- Aparâ vairagya (ordinary) and Parâ-vairagya (superior). Ordinary vairagya is non-involvement in the objects with the thought -" All pleasure or pain is the result of past karma. I do nothing as regards to it. Enjoyments and non-enjoyments are dreaded diseases. Possessions are great disasters. All contact ends in separation. Sufferings are diseases of the thoughts." This is the general perception of the sadhaka who has ordinary vairagya. It consists of abstaining from contact with objects and related thoughts and not mentally associating himself with these. This occurs in the beginning of 'Savikalpa Samadhi'.

IV. The fourth stage is the destruction of nescience (ignorance) through dwindling of belief in the Asat (unreal) further to correct practice of the first three stages. It is of the nature of dissolution of mental impressions. One who has reached this stage sees everything with an equal eye without attraction or revulsion. As non-duality gets established and duality dissolved, those who have reached the fourth stage look upon the phenomenal world as a dream which is unreal [‘pasyanti svapnâva lokam’]. The first three stages are akin to the waking stage and the fourth stage is called the dream stage. Here the mind starts to dissolve into fragments like a cloud beginning to rain. It corresponds to 'Sasmita-Sabija Samdhi' - the final stage of Sabija or Savikalpa Samadhi. 'Rtambhara Prajna' or the truth-discriminating intellect is established.

V.  The fifth stage is called as 'deep sleep'. The yogi in this stage even though awake and seeing the goings on in the outside, has his awareness internalized and is as good as sleeping as regards to the outer world. Since the mind has practically dissolved, the world concept doesn't present itself before him at all and he is in pure consciousness and bliss. He may be considered as being purely non-dual. He is joyful and inwardly awake with all dual appearances gone. Looking inward even when attending to external work, he appears constantly in-drawn, like a disinterested and exhausted man to others. This is the 'Virama-Pratyaya’ or Asampragnata state between Sabija and Nirbija. It is said to consist of silence, repose and quiescence (quietness); for speech and argument have been thrown far away in the light of the truth -"I am not the cause. The cause is the Lord or my past actions". Here, the sadhaka has outgrown the tendency to imagine and get ensnared in the fanciful thoughts resulting from imagination. Free from all innate impulses with surrender to God, he reaches the next stage.

VI. The sixth stage is called as ‘Turiya’ (fourth) as in succession to the normal waking, dream and sleeping states. It corresponds to 'Nirbija Samadhi'. It is of the nature of perception of one's own self. This is a state of pure object-less awareness and uninterrupted bliss. Here there is neither the existent, nor the non-existent. No 'I' and no 'non-I'. With all former analytic thinking as regards oneself gone, one stays alone, completely fearless in non-duality. 'Para-Vairagya' (highest vairagya) earlier mentioned now blossoms. This state is similar to deep sleep but with full consciousness.

It completes Nirbija samadhi and now begins the entrance to Dharma-Megha Samadhi. Upon getting established in the Dharma-Megha, he is liberated in life through this state here and now. Beyond knots, with all doubts vanished, fully devoid of imaginations as regards the Asath (unreal), he is like a painted flame -- extinguished yet not extinguished. Having dwelt here for some time, he reaches the next and final stage.

VII. The seventh stage is the state of 'Kaivalya' (liberation). It is the acme of all stages, beyond words or description and consists of immense quiescence. The Yogi is established in the 'Shunyata' (void) forever. Avoiding conformity with the ways of the world and the ways of the body, avoiding conformity with the ways of the scriptures, all super impositions on the self are got rid of. There is complete and irreversible identification with the Supreme spirit and this is a state of absolute purity and auspiciousness. This is beyond Turiya, hence called 'Turiyateeta' and is the highest & final state. It is Nirvana. The Yogi is in the Nirbija state of complete union with the Almighty even while awake and carrying on worldly activities. It is also referred to sometimes as the 'Sahaja' state.

An ordinary, worldly person has the three states of 'waking', 'dreaming' and 'sleeping'. In comparison, the first three states described can be compared to the 'waking state' of an ordinary person where in the yogi does see and experience the world.

The fourth state described above can be compared to the normal 'dreaming state', where the world is indeed like a dream to the Yogi.

The fifth state is called the state of 'deep sleep' as here the yogi experiences only bliss like in deep sleep but with complete awareness and full consciousness (which is absent in sleep).

The sixth state is denoted by the word 'Turiya' (beyond the three states of the ordinary person) in which there is no 'experiencing' (i.e there is no Ego but only the self).

The seventh and the highest state is beyond Turiya -- 'Turiyateeta'. This state can not be apprehended by the mind nor described by words but should be experienced and is a state of self luster. One is totally withdrawn within and whatever perceived is not conceived. He is liberated and is one with that Supreme spirit irreversibly. This is a state in which a person is delighted and absorbed in the self and only in the self, for everything has become the self. This is a state where the mind is totally satisfied and is untouched by the divisions of happiness or sorrow of experiencing, having merged into the self.

Thus are described the seven stages passed en route to self-realization. Depending on the evolutionary level of each Yogi, the process can be gone through in a single birth or numerous births.

ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)