[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Re: Meditation on the Nirguna Brahman results in Parama Ananda

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste Krishna ji.
Many thanks for raising pin-pointed question. Before responding, I would
like to provide some references for nididhyAsana in advaita vedAnta. I will
present a brief analysis thereof. And subsequently, I will take up your
points. This is for systematic presentation.

*Excerpts*

   1. निदिध्यासनं मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषये स्थिरीभावः - पञ्चपादिका
   2. वेदान्तानामेकरसे ब्रह्मणि शक्तितात्पर्यनिश्चयः श्रवणम् । तस्मिन्नेव
   श्रुत्यनुसारिण्या युक्त्या सम्भावनाधानं मननम् । श्रुते मते च बुद्धेः
   स्थैर्यं निदिध्यासनम् । - न्याय निर्णय व्याख्या
   3. विजातीयदेहादिप्रत्ययरहिताद्वितीयवस्तुसजातीयप्रत्ययप्रवाहो
   निदिध्यासनम् । - वेदान्तसारः
   4. निदिध्यासनं नाम अनादिदुर्वासनया विषयेष्वाकृष्यमाणस्य चित्तस्य
   विषयेभ्योऽपकृष्य आत्मविषयकस्थैर्यानुकूलो मानसो व्यापारः । - वेदान्तपरिभाषा
   5. निदिध्यासितव्यः निश्चयेन ध्यातव्यः - बृहदारण्यक भाष्य 2.4.5
   6. निदिध्यासस्व वाक्यानि अर्थतो निश्चयेन ध्यातुमिच्छेति ॥ - बृहदारण्यक
   भाष्य 2.4.4
   7. बृहदारण्यक वार्तिक सार - page 1543
   8. निरन्तरं विचारो यः श्रुतार्थस्य गुरोर्मुखात्।तन्निदिध्यासनं प्रोक्तं
   तच्चैकाग्र्येण लभ्यते।। - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिकसार 2.4.15
   9. अनात्मन्यरुचिश्चित्ते रुचिश्चात्मनि चेद्भवेत्। पुण्यपुपुञ्जेन शुद्धं
   तच्चित्तमैकाग्र्यमर्हति।।  - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिकसार 2.4.16 (Page 1426)
   10. निदिध्यासनशब्देन सम्यग्ज्ञानं विवक्षितम् ।।उक्तानुवचने तस्य
   विज्ञानेनेतिनिर्णयात् ।। ८९९ ।। - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 1.4.899
   11. अपरायत्तबोधोऽत्र निदिध्यासनमुच्यते ।।पूर्वयोरवधित्वेन तदुपन्यास
   इष्यते ।। २१७ ।। -  बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.4.217
   12. ध्यानाशङ्कानिवृत्त्यर्थं विज्ञानेनेति भण्यते ।।निदिध्यासनशब्देन
   ध्यानमाशङ्क्यते यतः ।। २३३ ।। - बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.4.233
   13. श्रुत आगमतो योऽर्थस्तर्केणापि समर्थितः ।।स एवार्थस्तु निष्णातो
   निदिध्यासनमुच्यते ।। १५ ।।- बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.5.15
   14. शास्त्राचार्यानुभवनैर्हेतुभिश्च समर्थितः ।।ईदृगैकात्म्यसंबोधो
   निदिध्यासनमुच्यते ।। १६ ।।- बृहदारण्यकभाष्यवार्तिक 2.5.16

*An analysis:*

The word "NididhyAsana" can be used in two senses. One, in the sense of
samyak-jnAna (10-14) and second, in the sense of dhyAna (1-9) i.e. in the
sense of “तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्”.

The often-considered meaning of nididhyAsana is in the sense of dhyAna. The
meaning of nididhyAsana as samyak-jnAna is rarely used. But that also is a
valid usage.

Now, dhyAna merely requires प्रत्ययैकतानता. It is not concerned with the
vishaya of pratyaya.

However, nididhyAsana is a special type of dhyAna. It accepts the ekatAnatA
of only that pratyaya which is मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषयक. Now,
मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषय is शुद्ध-निरुपाधिक-ब्रह्म. To have प्रत्ययैकतानता
in respect of शुद्ध-निरुपाधिक-ब्रह्म means to have no pratyaya with anAtmA
as the vishaya. That is what is meant by मननोपबृंहितवाक्यार्थविषये
स्थिरीभावः or श्रुते मते च बुद्धेः स्थैर्यम् or आत्मविषयकस्थैर्यानुकूलो
मानसो व्यापारः. This is what is AtmAkArA-vritti or akhanDAkArA-vritti.

Thus, nididhyAsana basically means to have no thoughts related to non-self.

*Your points*

//so nidhidhyasana is not someone does something. it is the cessation of
all thoughts. is that right?//

Yes. It is the cessation of all thoughts related to anAtmA. It is not
“doing” something, rather it is “not doing” anything.

//self-efforts do not attain this state.//

There is absence of effort. There is no grinding-of-teeth in nididhyAsana.
It is complete relaxation which is coupled with the understanding “seen is
illusory”. So, there is no self-effort. There is, on the contrary, no
effort. It is effortless-being.

//However, only if someone denies all thoughts whatever these thoughts may
be (since all thoughts are anatma in nature), then nidhidhyasana state
comes as a result which is a thought-less state //

Yes. There is no attention to thought just as there is no longer any
attention to the mirage when one understands that it is just a mirage.

//is this thoughtless state attained due to some or no blessing?//

When we understand “seen is illusory”, we understand “causation is
illusory”. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest discovery one can
have. Appreciation of the illusoriness of causation means ending of why,
how, when. “There is no causation” means a “why/how/when” is impossible to
be asked. Only when one seeks to know the cause, these why/how/when are
possible.

So, I understand “causation is illusory” -- and -- nididhyAsana is seen to
appear. I don’t ask why/how/when. I don’t say that this knowledge - "seen
is illusory" - has caused nididhyAsana. I don’t say that blessing has
caused nididhyAsana.

Nor do I investigate the how/why of nididhyAsana.

//If it is no blessing how does it occur as soon as someone can deny all
thoughts? I still don't understand what it means to deny all thoughts!//

So, one sits in meditation and sees that thought related to his office has
appeared. He pays no attention thereto knowing that it is illusory. Denial
of thought refers to ignoring thought, paying no attention thereto. Also,
one is not asked to pay attention to some other thing. Merely paying no
attention to thought is sufficient.

Whether it is coupled with blessing or not is not pertinent. Blessing is
also seen, and is hence illusory. So, even if it is present, it is to be
paid no attention.

//Is it like neti neti, where all thoughts are assigned a tag "atman is not
this one" atman is not this one" to every thought that may arise naturally
due to prior vasanas? if so, does it mean that the mind moves away from all
thoughts and naturally this state of "nidhidhyasana" occurs by itself
somehow.//

It is neti, neti only in action. And there is no grinding-of-teeth and
effort here. Whatever is seen, is illusory. I am not inclined to know Atman
here. I am situating as Atman.

Thoughts arise, and they are paid no attention whatsoever. And they are
seen to evaporate.

This, in my humble understanding, is the description of nididhyAsana. There
is effortlessness. There is complete relaxation.

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.

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