Our sanskaara-s are very powerful. They are stored
in the subconscious mind which is active even if a person is in dream or deep
sleep state or semi-conscious, unconscious or in coma. Where does the dream
world manifest from? It manifests from our subconscious mind. We hear people
talking in sleep, about which, when they are told after waking up, they have
absolutely no recollection or don't remember it at all. From where did the words
they spoke during sleep manifest? They manifested from the subconscious mind.
Our subconscious mind will hold only that data which it has been fed with, in
the form of sanskaara-s. Our thoughts, feelings and emotions, words and
actions are translated into sanskaara-s and stored in the subconscious
mind. From time to time, what manifests in the waking, dream or deep sleep state
and when semi-conscious or unconscious or when in coma, is from this stored
data.
I will relate to you a couple of examples of this
deep-rooted sanskaara-s manifesting in unconscious state. One of
my colleagues, while I was in Sandeepany, a few years before coming to
Sandeepany had once fallen unconscious for some reason. In his unconscious state
he started chanting Taitriya Upanishad. Before this incident he had never
read or heard Taitriya Upanishad in this life. From where did this
manifest from? He must have heard, read or studied it in some past life and
that sanskaar got stored in his subconscious mind which manifested when
he fell unconscious. The data which is not already there in the subconscious
mind will never manifest.
Similarly, just a few years ago, an old man in his
mid-nineties was on death bed. He was not conscious and was suffering and
struggling to give up the body. His grandson couldn't bear to see this. I had
earlier told that if we want to make it easy for a person on death bed, to give
up the body and prevent further suffering, we should chant chapter 8
of Bhagavad Geeta. So this grandson told his Aunt (the old man's
daughter) and she started chanting 8th chapter, though she had herself never
done it before. To the surprise of everybody the old man started chanting 8th
chapter very clearly and with correct pronunciation. This old man had never
chanted or even heard Bhagavad Geeta chanting during his life. From where
did it manifest? From his subconscious mind. He must have definitely heard and
chanted Geeta in one of his past lives.
Therefore great saints, sages and masters always
tell us to keep chanting the Lord's name or the guru mantra. It will get
embedded in our subconscious mind. One Amma in Delhi has been chanting
her guru mantra for last 60-70 years. Now she says that the chanting goes
on non-stop 24 hrs, every moment effortlessly, in and through all the days
activities, even while talking to others or while reading and even in deep
sleep. It is like a radio playing in the background.
In Bhagavad Geeta, ch 8, v. 5, Lord Krshna
says,
"अन्तकाले च मामेव
स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरं/
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः//
One who drops the
body while remembering Me, in the last moments, will attain to Me
without any doubt.
To remember in the
last moments is not possible unless one has practised it throughout his / her
life.
Therefore we should be very careful regarding the
quality of thoughts, feelings and emotions we entertain in our intellect and
mind, the words we speak and actions we perform, because all of these will
eventually get embedded in our subconscious mind as sanskaara-s and
manifest from time to time. Positive and spiritual thoughts, words and actions
in the form of saadhanaa will propel us quickly on the spiritual path.
By Swami Avdhutananda
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