“For self-realization, the people in Satya-yuga, living a lifetime of a hundred thousand years, were able to perform prolonged meditation. And in Treta-yuga, when the duration of life was ten thousand years, self-realization was attained by performance of great sacrifice. And in the Dvapara-yuga, when the duration of life was one thousand years, self-realization was attained by worship of the Lord. But in the Kali-yuga, the maximum duration of life being one hundred years only and that combined with various difficulties, the recommended process of self-realization is that of hearing and chanting of the holy name, fame, and pastimes of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.1.21 Purport)

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1. Dhyana

Dhyana is meditation, in a formal and explicit way. The stipulation here is that it should last an extended period of time. It is nothing like what we are typically accustomed to. If someone recommends that we meditate, we might dedicate a few minutes to it each morning. As part of the routine shown by the modern-day fitness guru, we sit down in a quiet room after maybe doing a cold plunge and drinking some water with zinc tablets dissolved inside.

This kind of meditation is certainly beneficial. After all, there is that saying from the philosopher Blaise Pascal about the difficulties of man stemming from his inability to sit in a quiet room, alone. We seem to always need something for stimulation, and there are entrepreneurs ready and willing to oblige. The distraction used to be scanning the channels on the television. Then perhaps throwing on some videos from that internet video site. But today, we can simply scroll on the smartphone. Endlessly, at that, as if there is no end to the content available to consume. It all appears to be devoid of meaning, since we end up constantly moving on; hence, the scrolling.

Dhyana is one of the limbs of meditational yoga, and genuine yoga is for linking with the Supreme. Dhyana has been successful for people in the past, who were able to stay in concentration for years and years. They could survive on air. They would be upset if anyone were to interrupt, to break their concentration.

2. Yajna

This is sacrifice. The word is synonymous with Vishnu, which is one way to describe the Almighty. Vishnu indicates that God is a person. He is a distinct individual. He is certainly also the collective, in the way that a fire extends its potency, its heat and light, through the mechanism of distribution.

एक-देश-स्थितस्याग्नेर्
ज्योत्स्ना विस्तारिणी यथा
परस्य ब्रह्मणः शक्तिस्
तथेदम् अखिलं जगत्

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat

“Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord. As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere. Indeed, the whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His energy.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.22.52)

We can reach perfection, siddhi, through yajna. Reciting the proper mantras, maintaining a steady fire, making offerings at the appropriate time, and also blessing the participants. They can eat the remnants of the sacrifice, known as yajna-shishta, and be blessed.

यज्ञ-शिष्टाशिनः सन्तो
मुच्यन्ते सर्व-किल्बिषैः
भुञ्जते ते त्व् अघं पापा
ये पचन्त्य् आत्म-कारणात्

yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo
mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā
ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt

“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.13)

3. Archana

This is worshiping the deity. Showing mercy to the fallen souls, who are limited in their thinking capacity, the one who is the grandest of them all, whose transcendental body includes the entire universe and more, Vishnu agrees to appear in a form that is easier to understand. This form can also accept direct worship. If comparing between what can directly be seen, with distinguishing features, and what cannot be seen, alakh, the deity is known as the saguna form.

हम लखि लखहि हमार लखि हम हमार के बीच
तुलसी अलखहि का लखहि राम नाम जप नीच

hama lakhi lakhahi hamāra lakhi hama hamāra ke bīca
tulasī alakhahi kā lakhahi rāma nāma japa nīca

“[O mystic] First know yourself, then realize the Supreme Absolute Truth, and then see the material nature standing in between. O wretch, without seeing these how can you understand what the unmanifested [invisible] feature of the Absolute Truth [alakh] actually is? Chant Shri Rama’s holy name instead, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 19)

If a person merely shows steadiness in this path, in dedication to returning to the process, day after day, they reach the heights of living. They do not require anything else, in fact. Others may insult their level of attention as indicating a lack of intelligence. You see, the deity worshipers are not wise enough to realize that Vishnu also resides outside of the temple, that His distribution is everywhere. In spite of what outside opinion offers, archana done properly and diligently can fulfill the meaning of life.

4. Harinama

This is the chanting of the holy names. Either quietly to oneself, in what is known as japa, or out loud, in what is known as kirtanam. To describe the glories of Vishnu is also kirtanam. The method popularized by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is known as sankirtana, which is congregational chanting, in the call-and-response format. This is a blissful way of staying in transcendence, through enjoying the sacred sounds of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

These are the different ways to proceed in self-realization, as passed down in the Vedanta tradition. The true understanding of Vedanta incorporates both advaita and dvaita. By worshiping directly, a person is able to automatically understand the impersonal feature.

श्रीभगवानुवाच
मय्यावेश्य मनो ये मां नित्ययुक्ता उपासते
श्रद्धया परयोपेतास्ते मे युक्ततमा मता:

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ
nitya-yuktā upāsate
śraddhayā parayopetās
te me yukta-tamā matāḥ

“The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 12.2)

These four processes can be implemented in any period of time, but based on the general conditions of society, harinama is the preferred method in the modern day. Dhyana was ideal in the first age, Satya. Yajna in the second age, and archana in Dvapara Yuga, but for the dark time of Kali, harinama is ideal. It can be implemented in any place, with or without the approval of an institution of influence.

In Closing:

Weapons chase my head,
In institution of dread.

Supposedly as spiritual known,
But criminals at the top alone.

Blessed Chaitanya heroically instating,
Through a simple mantra stating.

That to reach perfection and shine,
Harinama made for this time.

Categories: the four

Tags: hare krishna, kali yuga, meditation, poem, poems, poetry, sankirtana, yoga