In SSP, Guru Gorakhnath, talks of the transcendental or Samadhi experience during which the seeker experiences the Absolute Reality. Before you read about the concept of Para-Sambit, I would request you to read about the concept of Sat-Chit-Ananda, if you have not had a chance to. Understanding Sacchidananda can help you make better a connection with the concept of Para-Sambit.

In the state of Samadhi, the subject-object relationship breaks down and the individual consciousness rises above the time, space, relativity, plurality of the phenomenal world. It is in this exalted state of consciousness that the seeker experiences the Absolute Reality. Para-Sambit is the Super Consciousness experience.

In this state, the seeker no longer experiences phenomenal cosmic world. This experience is replaced by an experience of unity with the Absolute Reality where all differences merge into a single unity.

However, as per the philosophy of Gorakhnath and the Nath tradition, it does not mean that the phenomenal, ever changing world with its limitations of time, space, causality is an illusion while the experience of Para-Sambit is the only reality. While the one reality concept is the main premise of the Advaita philosophy, it is clearly not accepted by the Nath tradition.

According to Gorakhnath, the Eternal, self existent, self luminous, perfect or Absolute consciousness or Brahma/Shiva exists beyond the time, space, relativity context. But it is the creator, maintainer, and destroyer of the finite, phenomenal world that we experience on a day to day basis. It is Brahma/Shiva who manifests itself as this phenomenal, constantly changing, diverse embodied forms, attributes, organisms, each of which has their own place and part to play in the cosmic system.

The Absolute Reality manifests as the phenomenal world, but that does not affect or change its eternal, self existent, self luminous perfect self.

Guru Gorakshnath says that this manifestation of the phenomenal world is made possible by the Nija-Sakti or inherent and Unique Power of Brahma/Shiva. This Nija-Shakti is the essential character of the Sad-Chit-Ananda Brahma.

To explain this further, he says that Power/Sakti can be only understood by its actions/Kriya or by what it creates/Karya. Further, this Sakti has multiple types of powers which manifest different actions, effects under different circumstances. There are infinite possibilities of what this power can manifest. Only as it unfolds and we see evidence of it, can we know what it is capable of in terms of kriya and karya. Also, till we experience the kriya or see the karya, the power remains hidden or latent and cannot be understood or experienced at all.

Let us take the example of a power like electricity. For long, humanity saw electrical charges only in the clouds during a thunderstorm. Gradually, they learnt how to harness the same through water, wind, etc and have been progressively finding varied uses of it as humanity progresses, which were all unimaginable in the past.

So these infinite possibilities which manifest from time to time in diverse forms and constitute the phenomenal world are the result of the Nija-Shakti of the Absolute Reality/Brahma/Shiva, whose character is Sat-Chit-Ananda. It is difficult to differentiate between Brahma and this inherent power as they are one.
But it is important to understand that Brahma has:

• Sat-Chit-Ananda as ‘the eternal transcendent aspect’ – where the Brahma is eternal, pure changeless, differenceless, transcendent Sat-Chit-Ananda

• Nija-Shakti as ‘the eternal dynamic aspect’ – where the Brahma is eternally manifesting itself as the ever self-evolving, ever changing, ever differentiating, ever self embodying, ever active, ever old, ever new spatio-temporal cosmic system. It is through this Shakti that the Brahma becomes the creator, maintainer and destroyer of all phenomenal existences and phenomenal consciousnesses.

While somewhat difficult to grasp, Brahma is both of the above.

The Yogi in the Samadhi state experiences the transcendental aspect, hence the dynamic aspect plus the phenomenal world seem to become non existent for the Yogi in Samadhi. But when the Yogi, returns from the state of Samadhi back to the plane of ego, mind, senses, time, space and relativity, the dynamic, diverse cosmic system reappears for him/her. However, the Yogi is now able to see this phenomenal cosmic system as the self expression of Brahma and the yogi deeply experiences and understands that Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahma pervades and illumines all that exists or will ever exist.

This also gives the Yogi a complete understanding of Nija-Shakti of Brahma.

It also enlightens the Yogi about how the infinite, eternal, absolute, perfect, blissful, Supreme governs the finite, temporal, relative, imperfect, sorrowful, material realities of the phenomenal.

While we have understood Para-Sambit, Nija-Shakti, Eternal Transcendent and Eternal Dynamic aspects of Brahma, one more key aspect must be delved into to get better acquainted with the character of the Supreme One – The Pure Will.

The Brahma/Shiva, manifests the phenomenal universe through Nija-Shakti.  This Shakti’s inherent nature is Pure Will or Ichha-Matra-Dharma.

But this Will is not driven by any desire or want, feelings of dissatisfaction or sorrow. This Will/Iccha-Matra-Dharma manifests solely, due to an urge for self expression within the Brahma. This urge is driven by perfection, completeness, ananda. So we can say that for:

• Sat/Perfect Existence – The urge is for self expression of diverse existences
• Chit/Perfect Consciousness – The urge is for self expression of diverse consciousnesses
• Ananda/Perfect Bliss – The urge is for self expression of diverse kinds of joy

This self expression goes through a cycles of evolution-involution, expansion-contraction, diversification-unification. Guru Gorakshnath says that there is a gradual manifestation of Shakti which originates, develops the cosmos and the diverse beings and consciousnesses within it.

Next blog will discuss the concept of Siva-Sakti