Jnana is a Sanskrit phrase which means information or knowledge and bhumikas means phases or ranges. Jnana bhumikas are ranges of information or phases of knowledge that, when undertaken by a jnana yogi or a jnani, can result in liberation or moksha.
There are seven jnana bhumikas that chart a path of self-inquiry, inside transformation, and eventual attainment of superconsciousness.
Every step enlightens you about your true self and opens your eyes to true actuality. They encourage you to embark on a religious path to know that you’re one with the universe.
As well as, these seven bhumikas additionally function a information to exploring your individual character, ideas, and the causes of feelings, and assist construct a wholesome relationship with these round you.
Historic Significance of Jnana Bhumikas
The Jnana Bhumikas are talked about within the Varaha Upanishads and elaborated upon within the guide Yoga Vasistha, a dialogue between Sage Vasistha and Lord Rama. These seven phases define the trail of religious growth for these looking for liberation or moksha. The teachings in Yoga Vasistha present a profound exploration of self-realization, unmatched within the teachings of Yoga and Vedanta.
Seven Levels Jnana Bhumikas
Within the Yoga Vasistha, it’s emphasised that the practices of the Jnana Bhumikas are important to remove confusion and transcend the ego. These phases are essential to achieve the everlasting bliss of 1’s true nature, as they permit the thoughts to beat its disturbances, impurities, and false beliefs.
The first three phases known as the jagrat or waking stage, mark the seeker’s preliminary awakening to the necessity to dispel ignorance and embark on a quest for information.
The following 4 phases, often known as jivanmuktas or liberated beings, denote a state during which the seeker has found the inside mild, achieved full detachment from the fabric world, and attained the very best stage of consciousness.
Every of those phases has a profound significance on the trail of self-realization and liberation.
Stage 1: Subheccha (good want)
The primary stage is when folks start to ask themselves questions concerning the which means of life. They start to search for solutions to their aimlessness and want to get out of an ignorant life via religious development.
They’re inspired to learn scriptures, speak to sensible folks or saints, and observe vairagya (detachment from worldly pleasures).
Studying scriptures helps us perceive the fundamentals of religious knowledge and open our hearts. That is properly complemented by associating with individuals who can information one on the precise path. It’s sensible to study from different folks’s experiences so as to get in contact with your individual inside self.
Additionally, whenever you observe vairagya, you are likely to naturally suppress any attraction to sensual objects. Cultivating vairagya is crucial as a result of it ensures that you’re not pushed by private acquire and that your morals and ethics are given a powerful basis.
At this stage, it’s essential to have a discernible intention and an unquenchable urge to enhance your religious observe.
As we advance to increased ranges of knowledge, this can help within the growth of consciousness and a transparent, centered thoughts.
Stage: 2 Vicharana (self-inquiry)
Once you learn the scriptures, there may be an urge for self-reflection. You might be robotically pushed to self-exploration as a result of you could have mirrored on the scriptures and the teachings you could have realized from the saints.
At this stage, you query the character of true actuality and your beliefs and verify them in opposition to the information you could have gained from numerous sources.
You are attempting to achieve readability concerning the nature of your assumptions, whether or not they’re true or false.
By way of meditation and deep introspection, the sources of disturbances and distractions you had earlier than fade away. They won’t trigger a response from you since you now perceive the character of consciousness and the capabilities of the thoughts.
You additionally start to know what your tensions, worries, anger, traumas, and fears are primarily based on and take acceptable steps to eliminate them.
The seeker features a deeper understanding of the essence of life as he begins to shed the veil of ignorance and misconceptions that hinder his imaginative and prescient.
Merely put, if subheccha is the willpower to grasp the true actuality, vicharana is the implementation of that willpower.
Stage: 3 Tanumanasi (delicate thoughts)
Within the third stage, your thoughts has develop into “skinny as a thread (tanu)”.” Your thoughts can now overcome all types of distractions and focus solely in your religious path. The seeker can dwell in contemplation for hours with out being disturbed by exterior distractions.
One can attain this stage solely after cultivating vairagya, pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), and inside silence by practising meditation, pranayama, bhakti-yoga, tapas (abstinence), and different yogic practices.
These practices assist the thoughts to develop into disciplined, centered, and calm, and to develop the willpower to concentrate on the delicate parts of the thoughts by turning inward.
Additionally it is stated that an individual who dies at this stage will stay in heaven for a very long time and be reborn as a Jnani (sage).
Stage 4: Sattvapatti (attainment of sunshine)
Within the fourth stage, the seeker has attained religious mild. They now perceive the distinction between the self and the ego and see all the things as one. They’re indifferent from worldly affairs and may really feel the interconnectedness of all issues within the universe. There isn’t any struggling and one experiences deep religious peace and tranquility.
Because of this, the world seems like a dream.
Brahmavit (Brahman-knowing) is the identify given to 1 who has efficiently reached this stage. Step one in discovering one’s true self is definitely to have this understanding of the last word fact.
Stage: 5 Asamsakti (inside detachment)
Asamsakti means desirelessness. The seeker is now not interested in or connected to materials possessions or feelings. There are now not dualistic or multi-layered ideas. The seeker has a stronger understanding of the impermanence of all the things, and the ego thoughts has been tamed.
This stage of the journey permits the seeker to rid himself of all materials wishes and concentrate on the seek for religious liberation.
The seeker is now often known as Brahmavidvara (superior knower of Brahman) and performs his important duties with out displaying any indicators of attachment. Despite the fact that the Brahmavidvara is busy with social duties, he understands that the fabric world is an phantasm and may change.
Stage 6: Padartha bhavana (religious imaginative and prescient)
When the seeker reaches this stage, they’ve attained the information of the reality.
That is the stage the place psychological actions have come to a halt and the thoughts can now not distinguish between inside and outer sense experiences.
On this state, transcending all dualisms and bounds, the seeker is conscious that all the things is interconnected and a part of the identical cosmic consciousness. The seeker is a Brahmavidvariyan, or one who’s increased than Brahmavidvara.
From the understanding of the last word fact comes an amazing sense of peace and contentment.
Stage 7: Turiya (supreme freedom)
The seeker has lastly reached the state of pure consciousness. He’s now fully indifferent from all wishes and free from ideas. That is the stage of experiencing the state of superconsciousness.
On this closing stage, the seeker has realized the true self and attained moksha or liberation. The idea of “I” is now not separate from the universe, and the idea of duality has disappeared.
That is the very best state of consciousness that may be attained via deep introspection, self-inquiry, and contemplation.
The seeker’s quest for knowledge and enlightenment culminates within the realization of turiya.
The seeker has now develop into a Brahmavidvaristha or one of the best among the many knowers of Brahman
Advantages of Progressing via the Levels
It is very important perceive that the advantages of jnana bhumikas aren’t fully tangible. As you undergo the phases, the modifications are mirrored in your character and in your mind-set. As your understanding of the world modifications, you understand that this actuality is simply an phantasm.
Your relationship with your self and others modifications, which can or might not be perceived positively. What issues, nevertheless, is that you’re content material with this realization and got down to know your true self.
With that in thoughts, listed here are some advantages you may discover when going via the 7 steps:
- Promotes self-knowledge and private development via self-inquiry and introspection.
- Deepen your religious understanding via studying scriptures and buying information from saints.
- You might be free of egoic limitations and struggling as you acknowledge the delicate nuances of spirit.
- Builds wholesome connections and relationships with others by eliminating unfavourable feelings and thought patterns.
- Guides you thru inside transformation and better states of consciousness by eradicating the veil of phantasm and misunderstanding.
- Cultivates knowledge, readability, and inside peace when your thoughts continues to be and you’re employed with out expectations.
Conclusion
Going via every stage of Jnana Bhumika shouldn’t be one thing that may be accomplished in 7 days (sooner or later per stage). Quite the opposite, it’s an arduous journey that requires a whole lot of perseverance, willpower, and dedication and may take years, a long time, or perhaps a lifetime.
Like an onion, you’ll slowly peel every layer of your true self to find a facet that was hidden by the illusions of the fabric world. This may enable you stay a purposeful life and provide the peace and tranquility you could have all the time strived for.
Even when your purpose is to not obtain religious enlightenment or liberation, the method will enable you develop an consciousness of the significance of knowledge and the way vital it’s to domesticate it in your every day life.
That is additionally why it is very important observe meditation, pranayamas, and yoga asanas often, as they assist put together the thoughts to stay calm and centered.
