A Commentary on the Gospel of Thomas–by Swami Nirmalananda Giri

The Divine Gift

Jesus said, ‘I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the human mind.’”
                       –Gospel of Thomas 17

We are familiar with this idea from Saint Paul’s saying: “It is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (I Corinthians 2:9) He was quoting Isaiah 64:4: “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.”

The King James translation misses the idea a bit. The original Greek actually says: “What eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and to which the heart of man has not aspired, that has God prepared for those that love Him.” Naturally the heart of “man” has not aspired to the divine gift, because it is far beyond the grasp of the earthbound mind and heart of those entrenched in the human condition, having forgotten that they are gods and not men. (“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” Psalms 82:6)

It takes a moderate degree of evolution to realize that there is a realm that is invisible to the eye, unheard by the ear, untouchable to the hand and beyond the imagining of the human mind. But it takes a great degree of evolution to understand that that realm is the real world, and that we are living in a mirage, a dream–which has meaning, but is nonetheless a dream. To aspire to enter that true world and leave this world of mere appearance is a mark of nearness to the status of “the sons of God.” And that is the gift Jesus offers to His disciples, the real Christmas gift that comes to us when we are born into the real world of God.

Read The Gospel of Thomas and more Commentaries on the Gospel of Thomas.

Man’s Subtle Anatomy

A Commentary on the Nityananda’s Chidakasha Gita – by Swami Nirmalananda Giri

2. There are three nadis (subtle energy channels) in the body: the sun or the sushumna, the moon or the ida, the star or the pingala. The first is red in color, the second, blue, and the third, green.

3. Where these three nadis meet, is the heart-space. As we go on practicing yoga, the bindu-sound is heard in the head. This sound is one, indivisible.

It is absolutely necessary for the aspiring yogi to have some theoretical knowledge of his subtle anatomy, for that is the inner mechanism which comes more and more into function on the conscious level as he progresses further and further toward enlightenment. So Nityananda is describing to us the three major channels within our subtle bodies which carry not only the movements of the highest, rarefied spiritual energies, but through which consciousness itself moves and manifests. Knowledge of these three is very necessary to us all who seek the Self by the practice of yoga.

As can be seen by further reading in the Chidakasha Gita, Paramhansa Nityananda was adamant that the chakras and major nadis found in the body were merely subordinate reflections of the chakras and nadis in the head, where true sadhana takes place and true enlightenment occurs. We should keep this in mind whenever he speaks of these things.

In meditation yogis experience the reality of these things which at first encounter (especially in the West) seem baseless mythologies. But this is the glory of yoga: we can experience those realities for ourselves. Many yogis have doubted various statements or descriptions in the ancient texts, but as they progressed in their practice they experienced the truth of those statements for themselves–much to their surprise. It is the same with Nityananda’s assertions.

Most people see lights during some part of their meditation, and red, blue, and green lights are sometimes seen. When this happens we can know which of the three main channels is dominant at the moment. They are united in the head (brain), the Sahasrara or Thousand-Petalled Lotus. There is the Chidakasha, the Space of Consciousness, the Heart Space.

Sound rises from the Chidakasha, and those who meditate by repeating the sacred syllable Om will find that It originates in the head where the faculty of inner speech (thought) resides. First we hear our own intonations of Om occurring there, and after a while we are aware that the subtle whisper of Om is going on there continuously, that we are linking up with It by our practice of Om Yoga. It is the eternal source of all manifestation–of all our involvement in relative existence, as well as leading us beyond relativity, back to our Origin.

4. Just as camphor is consumed by the flames of fire, so also, mind must be consumed by soul fire.

Real camphor–not the synthetic camphor usually available–burns up totally, leaving no ash or soot. In other words, when it is gone, it is gone. No trace remains. In the same way the lower, sensory mind ruled by ego and material consciousness, must be “evaporated” by the heat of spiritual attainment, by the fire of yoga practice. There is no “thing” that the Spirit cannot transmute into Consciousness, back into Itself. So that which is worshipped by bound souls must be dissolved for them to be free. And that dissolution must be done consciously and intentionally. Otherwise nothing will happen. We are wise if we keep this fact in mind.

5. The coconut kernel, detached from the shell, makes a dull sound when shaken. So also the atman and the body must be thought of as separate. The first is light. By that light all vices are consumed.

When any nut is ripe, the inner part is separated from the shell. Before that the inner part and the shell adhere to one another and it is difficult to separate them–and it cannot done without damaging the inner part. So although the Self (atman) and the body are never the same thing, when the individual’s consciousness is not ripe–is undeveloped or unevolved–the Self and the body seem to them to be the same thing and they believe that their body is their Self. If they are really deluded they believe that there is no Self, that only the body is real.

In the Chandogya Upanishad we find this account:

“The gods and demons both thought to themselves, ‘Let us seek after and realize this Self, so that we may obtain all the worlds and all desires.’

“Thereupon Indra from the gods, and Virochana from the demons, went to Prajapati, the renowned teacher. For thirty two years they lived with him as pupils. Then Prajapati asked them why they had both lived with him so long.

“‘We have heard,’ they replied, ‘that one who realizes the Self obtains all the worlds and all desires. We have lived here because we want to learn of this Self.’

“Then said Prajapati: ‘That which is seen in the eye–that is the Self. That is immortal, that is fearless, and that is Brahman.’

“‘Sir,’ inquired the disciples, ‘is that the Self which is seen reflected in the water, or in a mirror?’

“‘The Self is indeed seen reflected in these,’ was the reply. Then Prajapati added, ‘Look at yourselves in the water, and whatever you do not understand, come and tell me about it.’

“Indra and Virochana gazed on their reflections in the water, and returning to the sage, they said: ‘Sir, we have seen the Self; we have seen even the hair and the nails.’

“Then Prajapati bade them don their finest clothes and look again in the water. This they did, and returning to the sage, they said: ‘We have seen the Self, exactly like ourselves, well adorned and in our finest clothes.’

“To which Prajapati rejoined: ‘The Self is indeed seen in these. The Self is immortal and fearless, and it is Brahman.’ And the pupils went away well pleased.

“But Prajapati, looking after them, lamented thus: ‘Both of them departed without analyzing or discriminating, and without truly comprehending the Self. Whosoever follows a false doctrine of the Self will perish.’

“Now Virochana, satisfied for his part that he had found out the Self, returned to the demons and began to teach them that the body alone is to be worshiped, that the body alone is to be served, and that he who worships the body and serves the body gains both worlds, this and the next. Such doctrine is, in very truth, the doctrine of the demons!

“But Indra, on his way back to the gods, realized the uselessness of this knowledge. ‘As this Self,’ he reasoned, ‘seems to be well adorned when the body is well adorned, well dressed when the body is well dressed, so will it be blind when the body is blind, lame when the body is lame, deformed when the body is deformed. When the body dies, this same Self will also die! In such knowledge I can see no good.’

“So he returned to Prajapati and asked for further instruction.” (Chandogya Upanishad 8.7.2-8.9.2)

Virochana was of unripe understanding, whereas Indra’s was ripe enough for him to eventually see through the fallacy of mistaking the body for the Self.

The atman and the body must be thought of as separate

Keeping in mind that the body and the self are not the same is not just a matter of holding a philosophical concept. Rather, it is a matter of maintaining spiritual awareness throughout external experience, to center our identity in the Self and not in the body. This is accomplished through yoga. “Because they understood this, the ancient seekers for liberation could safely engage in action. You, too, must do your work in the spirit of those early seers.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:15)

In the thirteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna speaks of the difference between the “knower of the field,” the Self, and the “field,” which is the body, saying: “I regard discrimination between Field and Knower as the highest kind of knowledge.” (Bhagavad Gita 13:2)

By that light all vices are consumed

The followers of external religion, unless their conscience is blunted by ignorance and frustration, are inwardly tormented by the fact that their beliefs and their religious observances cannot purify or correct their minds and hearts. “What lack I yet?” (Matthew 19:20) is their cry. But their religion will never give the answer. They will find it in the vision of the Indian sages–only by the light of the Self, only by entering into and experiencing the Self, will their impurities and the impulse to negativity be destroyed. For Krishna is speaking as the Self in each one of us when he says: “Flying from fear, from lust and anger, he hides in me his refuge, his safety: burnt clean in the blaze of my being, in me many find home.” (Bhagavad Gita 4:10) There is no other answer but experience of the Self.

6. Just as we draw water from a well, we should draw breath. When we breathe out, it should be like letting down the bucket into the well. When we breathe out, it is the carbon [the impurities of the body] that are expelled. When we breathe in, it is the breath of Omkar. Breath of Omkar is the manas.

7. Manas is Jiva; but their positions are different. Jivatman is Paramatman.

Just as we draw water from a well, we should draw breath. Without water we cannot live, and even more so do we need breath. Nityananda is saying here that breathing should not be done heedlessly, but that just as we draw water, so we should intend to draw life (prana/breath) into ourselves.

When we breathe out, it should be like letting down the bucket into the well. When we breathe out, it is the carbon [the impurities of the body that are expelled. When we breath out we release, and when we inhale we draw in, just as drawing up the bucket gets us water.

When we breathe in, it is the breath of Omkar. Now here is the crux of the matter: breath is a manifestation of Om. It is the movement of Om in the subtle bodies that causes us to breathe. Moreover, according to the Chandogya Upanishad: “The breath is continually sounding ‘Om.’” (Chandogya Upanishad 1.5.3) So Nityananda’s statement is literally true: our breath is Om.

Breath of Omkar is the manas. The mind is formed of Om, and its fundamental movement is the movement of Om. But the mind means more than is usually indicated, so in verse seven Nityananda continues with the statement: “Manas is Jiva.” The mind (manas) is the individual spirit-self (jiva) of each one of us. So Om is our Self, and our life and our breath are manifestation of that Omkar-Self. That is why the Amritabindu Upanishad says: “With Om alone he should breathe.” (Amritabindu Upanishad 20) The Maitri Upanishad explains it more fully: “Because in this manner he joins the breath, the Syllable Om, and all this in its manifoldness therefore this is called Yoga [joining]. The oneness of the breath, the mind, and likewise of the senses [through japa of Om with the breath] and the abandonment of all conditions of existence, this is designated as Yoga. One draws in the pranas by means of the Syllable Om.” (Maitri Upanishad 6:22-26) And the Yoga Vashishtha: “Pranayama is accomplished by effortlessly breathing and joining to it the repetition of the sacred Om with the experience of Its meaning, when the consciousness reaches the deep sleep state.” (Yoga Vashishtha 5:78)

Nityananda will have more to say regarding this in subsequent verses.

Read more about Nityananda and the Chidakasha Gita.

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