The seven Ajnana States. Now listen to a detailed explanation of the 7 states of Ajnana, I gave out before. They are called Bindu-Jagrat, Jagrat, Maha-Jagr^t, Jagrat- Swapna, Swapna, Swapna-Jagrat and Sushupti. These 7 different states do interpenetrate one another and receive different appellations. As the one Jnana, which is name- less and stainless, is the substratum and the generating Bindu (or the seed) of all those which pass under the names and actions of Manas, Jiva and others evolving and flourishing, hence the first state is called Bindu-Jagrat.
This is the first or primary state. After the incipient manifestation of Jiva, the feeble conception of the dif- erences of “I and He” and “Mine and Thine” which arise then, they not having existed in it before, is the second or upper Jgrat state. Then the third state is induc ed, when, after repeated births, the conceptions of the hetero geneity of man and the universe do concrete in the individual. Jagrat-Swapna is that state in which the mind holds undis puted sovereignty over the things of the world in the Jagrat state through previous effects, and overpowered by such objects, whether seen or unseen before, revels in delight in them.
This Swapna state is enjoyed in the Jagrat or waking state and is of various kinds, through the experience of various delusions, such as the misconceptions of water in a mirage, silver in mother-o -pearl, two moons and others. Then in the fifth state of pure Swapna, a review is made of the innumerable events which one passes through in a moment as if in a dream or reverie, and the individual remembers them in his normal Jagrat state. The sixth state is Swapna- Jagrat in which one in the waking state, in trying to recollect things long past has that Swapna consciousness, which makes the past things to be clearly in recollection now, not as in Swapna but as in the Jagrat state.
A Jiva after crossing these six states, reaches the Sushupti state in which its intelligence, finds all these Avasthas (states) to be but inert and beset with sore pains. All the worlds will seem to be (or are) generated out of and perish in the mist of Maya in these Avasthas or states. These 7 states of Ajnana have countless ramifications, each being divided a hundred-fold. Thus are the seven Ajnana-Bhumikas (or states).
The seven Jndna states. Now to the seven Jnana-Bhumi- kas. Disputants hold to infinite divisions of these Jnana states. In my opinion I prefer to classify them thus under a septenary head. The cognition of the real nature of these Jna na states is Atma-Jnana. The goal of all these is the imperish able Nirvana. The seven stages are Subechcha, (spiritual longing after the bliss given out in the Vedas), Vicharana (enquiry therein:, Thanumanasi, (the melting of the mind in enquiry), Satwapaththi, (the passage of the mind in Truth) Asamsakti, (being without Sankalpa), PathaYtha Bhavana (knowledge of Truth), and Turya. Persons who have known these states will never welter in the mind of delusions.
As Moksha arises therefrom, there will be an end of alj pains. Of what avail to us is the wretched Moha ? That desire which ever arises in one to enjoy directly the Jnana- essence through the path of indifference to objects after a study of Atma-Jnana Sastras and association with the knowers of Brahman is Subechcha. The second or Vichirana is the mastery of the good qualities of the wise and of Atmic contemplation with the rise of spiritual desires in one. When after these two states are fully developed in him, he abandons the natural desires and his mind is concentred on one object at its will, then it (the mind) is rendered lean like Thanu (fine thread) and the third stage is reached.
All desires being eliminated from the mind through the above three processes, Tatwa Jnana is developed and this is the fourth state of Truth. Beyond these is the fifth state when he disconnects himself from all Sankalpas by merging into the blissful enjoy ment of true Jnana without association with objects. When these five states are fully developed in an individual, he is drowned in the Elysian bliss of Atma-Jnana and then he loses all affinities for objects. After the ripening of these five states and the development of quiescence through merging into one s own Self of Atma-Jnana, all perception of objects, exter nal and internal, is lost and the person, if at all he has any perception of objects, has it only through sheer external compulsion. This is the state called Pathartha-Bhavana.
Then the Turya, the seventh state is reached, when, having rendered objective the hitherto latent Atma-Jnana, he firmly stays in his own Self, having completely divest ed himself of all conceptions of heterogeneity which arise through his experiences on earth. This is the spiritual path of the stainless Jivan Muktas. Above this Turya state of Jivan Mukhtas, is the Turyatheetha* state of Videha Muktas. This state is one that can be attained only by those Mahatmas (great souls) who have known their own Self through Atma-Jnana.
Such Jivan Muktas, as have reached this imperishable Turya state, will never be affected by the pairs. They will automatically perform karmas at the instance of their disci ples or others, simply to maintain their body ; and like a per son in brown study or just awake from sleep, they will not be the actors of their present karmas, though performing them and will enjoy Nirvanic bliss. These Jnana Bhumikas can be cognized only by those who have fully developed Jnana. There is no doubt that if a person masters these seven states, he becomes an emancipated person whether he animates beasts full of Ajnana, whether he conforms to the worldly observan ces or not, or whether he is associated with body or dies.
Tatwa-Jnana is the release from the trammels of one s own mind. Such a release alone leads to the attaiment of Moksha. If the illusions of the world are considered as un real as a mirage in a desert, then the Ajnana in the man will bid adieu to him. If this Avidya or ignorance be considered unreal, then it will be annihilated.
Those transcendentally holy personages who have cognized all the true Jnana states through Samadhi which leads to the realisation of their own Atma, do truly deserve the worship and meditation of all. Those who have subjugated their long standing foes of the sensual organs and have reached thereby the supreme state in which they are reverenced by all and do regard, as insig nificant, the position of even Devendra and emperors are the knowers of these seven states. But those who have not so at tained these septenary states are simply drowned in the ocean of births.
