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Nirvikalpa Samadhi Nirvikalpa samadhi
In article <4l1lpk$63m@babbage.ece.uc.edu>,
gmadras@pinto.engr.ucdavis.edu
says...
>
>santhosh@iss.nus.sg (Santhosh Kumar) writes:
>
>>. Also, as my
>>understanding on this subject goes, once an ordinary person
>>achieves Nirvikalpa Samadhi, he leaves the body in 21 days.
>
>Santhoshji :
>
>Namaskaar. You remark that one who nirvikalpa samadhi drops their body
>in 21 days. I have also heard this many times in India, my Guruji
denies
[snip]
> I would be interested if you had some references (shruti
and/or
>smriti) stating 21 days.
>Giri
Joan writes :
In the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, on page 245, it says,
"'Trailanga Swami once said that because a man reasons he is conscious
of
multiplicity, of variety. Attaining samadhi, one gives up the body in
twenty-one
days. . . '" (Ramakrishna was talking to his devotees.)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Namaskaar Joan. Thanks for responding. The above statement is
surprising since many long time practicioners of yoga would have
attained some kind of samadhi. As you know, there are various kinds
of samadhi, including nirvikalpa (which itself is divided into stages).
Even agreeing that the above stanza did mean nirvikalpa, I
wouldn't call Ramakrishna's words as Shruti, though I respect him as
a saint/sage.
Let us look at some responses by Ramana Maharshi,
Talks with Ramana, 3rd edition, page 293
Sentences in [] are mine.
Disciple : Ramakrishna says that nirvikalpa samadhi can not last longer
than 21 days. If persisted in, the person dies. Is it so ?
Ramana : When the prarabdha [karma] is exhausted the ego is completely
dissolved without leaving any trace behind. This is final liberation.
Unless prarabdha is completely exhausted, the ego will be rising up
in its pure form even in jivanmukta [liberated person]. I still doubt
the statement of the maximum duration of 21 days. It is said that
people
can not live if they past 30 or 40 days. But there are those who have
fasted longer, say a hundred days. It means there is still prarabdha
for
them.
[Let us also remember that saints like Giri Bala had not eaten
for nearly 50 years].
Talks with Ramana, 3rd edition, page 432
Sentences in [] are mine.
Disciple : It is said that one remaining in Nirvikalpa samadhi for 21
days
must necessarily give up the physical body
Ramana : Samadhi means passing beyond dehatma buddhi and
non-identification
of the body with the Self is a foregone conclusion.
There are said to be persons who have been immersed in Nirvikalpa
Samadhi for a thousand years or more.
[There are instances from Yoga vasistha, which say the same
thing.
Therefore there seems to be support in Smriti that this 21 day period
is
not correct.]
I would be interested in seeing Shruti/smriti references which support
this
contention of 21 days.
Giri
In regard to the reference from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, I don't
know if it would help to point out that Sri Ramakrishna was referring
to a third party, Trailanga Swami, and not speaking of His own
revelation. To me, that would make a difference in how I accept it.
In the latter part of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, M describes how
Sri Ramakrishna gave Nirvikalpa Samadhi to Vivekananda and even quotes
Vivekananda's description of how he felt an intense light in the back
of his head and then completely lost body consciousness. As we all
know, Vivekananda lived more than 21 days.
I'm sorry that I can't give a direct quote on this because I don't have
time to look it up, as much as I would like to.
Requests for references from the Scriptures remind me of the humorous
anecdote which is attributed to Swami Vivekananda. Once a well-known
scholar said to Vivekananda, "What you say is not in accordance with
the Scriptures. The Scriptures say..." Vivekananda responded, "So the
Scriptures say, but I, Vivekananda say..." Since Vivekananda was and is
the embodiment of humility and purity, I think that he meant that if
one goes by the strict letter of the Scriptures, he may miss the
essence. In the same way, Christ warned the Pharisees not to go by the
letter of the Law.
Jack
