Hindu philosophical concept
In
Advaita Vedanta
and
Jnana Yoga
Nididhyasana
(
Sanskrit
: ??????????) is profound and repeated meditation
[1]
on the
mahavakyas
, great Upanishadic statements such as "That art Thou", to realize the identity of
Atman
and
Brahman
. It is the fourth step in the training of a
sisya
(disciple), consisting of preparatory practices, listening to the teachings as contained in the
sruti
,
reflection
on the teachings, and nididhyasana.
Four stages of practice
[
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]
Nididhyasana is the final step in the correct understanding of the meaning of the
Mahavakyas
. Classical
Advaita Vedanta
emphasizes the path of Jnana Yoga, a progression of study and training to attain
moksha
. It consists of four stages:
[2]
[web 1]
- Samanyasa
or
Sampatti
s,
[3]
the "fourfold discipline" (
s?dhana-chatustaya
), cultivating the following four qualities:
[2]
[web 1]
- Nity?nitya vastu viveka
(??????????? ????? ???????) ? The ability (viveka) to correctly discriminate between the eternal (
nitya
) substance (
Brahman
) and the substance that is transitory existence (
anitya
).
- Ih?mutr?rtha phala bhoga vir?ga
(????????????? ?? ??????????) ? The renunciation (
vir?ga
) of enjoyments of objects (
artha phala bhoga
) in this world (
iha
) and the other worlds (
amutra
) like heaven etc.
- ?am?di ?atka sampatti
(????? ???? ????????) ? the sixfold qualities,
- Mumuk?utva
(?????????????) ? The firm conviction that the nature of the world is misery and the intense longing for
moksha
(
release from the cycle of births and deaths
).
- Sravana
, listening to the teachings of the sages on the
Upanishads
and Advaita Vedanta, and studying the Vedantic texts, such as the
Brahma Sutras
. In this stage the student learns about the reality of
Brahman
and the identity of atman;
- Manana (reflection)
, the stage of
reflection on the teachings
;
- Nididhy?sana
, the stage of meditation on the truth "that art Thou".
[web 1]
[web 3]
Nididhyasana is a rational and cognitive process, which differs from
dhyana
(meditation). It is necessary for gaining
Brahmajnana
:
????? ????????? ?????????? ???????? ????????
By a thorough analysis of "Atman is Brahman" the direct knowledge "I am Brahman" is achieved (
Panchadasi
VII.58).
[5]
Nididhyasana done independently of
sravana
does not lead to the realization of the
Atman
.
[6]
Explanation
[
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]
Advaita Vedanta
[
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]
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
(II.iv.5) defines Nididhyasana as the meditation for the sake of direct vision.
[7]
Yajnavalkya
tells his wife ?
- ????? ?? ??? ?????????? ????????? ???????? ??????????????? ????????,
- ?????? ? ??? ??????? ??????? ????? ???????????? ????? ??????? ||
- "The Self, my dear
Maitreyi
, should be realized ? should be heard of, reflected on and meditated upon;
- by the realization of the Self, my dear, through hearing, reflection and meditation, all this is known." - (
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
St.II.iv.5)
Sankara
explains Nididhyasana as meditation with determination. Sankara states:-
- ??????? ?????? ???????????? ??????? |
- ?????????? ????????? ?????? ????????????? ||
- "Reflection (manana) is hundred times superior to listening (sravana);
- meditation (nididhyasana) is hundred times superior to reflection; nirvikalpaka samadhi is infinitely superior."
[8]
According to
Suresvara
, Nididhyasana is the culmination of the practice of
sravana
and
manana
, which is an indirect intuition of
Brahman
and does not mean meditation but knowledge (
vijnana
) i.e. understanding the meaning of the
Sruti
on the basis of
vacya-vacaka
relation underlying the
mahavakya
. Suresvara states:-
- ?????????????????????????????? ????????|
- ?????????????????? ????????????????? ||
- "Nididhyasana is so called when, instruction about the uniqueness of the Atman is justified
- by (proper) reasons viz. the Sruti, (the instructions of) teachers and (one’s own) experience (of the same)."
Nididhyasana consists in acquisition of
vakyarthajnana
and this verse explains the purport of
sunisnata
.
[9]
According to
Vacaspati
,
sravana
,
manana
and
nidihyasana
are a chain of causes contributory to the knowledge of the oneness of Brahman. The Vivarna school considers
sravana
as the principal cause but Suresvara treats
sravana
and
manana
to be co-existent, these two culminate into
nididhyasana
.
[10]
Dvaita Vedanta
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]
According to
Madhva
the knowledge acquired by study ('?rava?a') and stabilized by reflection ('manana') is made the basis of steady contemplation ('nididhyasana'); these are the three stages of inquiry that take the form of
Dhyana
.
[11]
Radhakrishnan
has defined Nididhyasana as "the process by which intellectual conscience is transformed into a vital one there is stillness, a calm in which the soul lays itself open to the Divine".
[12]
Neo-Vedanta
[
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]
According to Michael James, who gives an Advaita Vedanta interpretation of Ramana Maharshi, Ramana's
self-enquiry
is the same as Nididhyasana and
atma-vichara
.
[web 4]
See also
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]
Notes
[
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]
- ^
nivartit?n?mete??? tadvyatiriktavi?ayebhya uparama?amuparatirathav? vihit?n?? karma??? vidhin? parity?ga?
[Ved?ntas?ra, 21]
References
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]
Sources
[
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]
Printed sources
[
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]
- Puligandla, Ramakrishna (1997),
Fundamentals of Indian Philosophy
, New Delhi: D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd.
- Rambachan, Anantanand (1991),
Accomplishing the Accomplished
, University of Hawaii Press
Web-Sources
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]
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