In ancient India, there were secret-schools or gurukuls where occult knowledge was given by word of mouth. Secrets regarding higher spiritual states of mental exercises (Raj-Yoga) were whispered by the Guru to his chosen disciple or shishya, and this knowledge about the Supreme Reality is the greatest treasure anyone can have or experience. The pupil who desires this knowledge has to search for this treasure within himself. It is not available to all and sundry, like in today’s day and age of ‘dhongi gurus’ and ‘dubious babas’ who hold one-day spiritual workshops in Five Star hotels charging thousands of rupees!

Our ancient Indian texts enjoin secrecy repeatedly. Hence gurus revealed only a part of the teachings, only to tested disciples of several years. That too, only the elementary doctrines were revealed with extreme discretion as there are grave dangers of this knowledge falling into wrong hands. One branch of this knowledge was Brahma-Chintan or Divine meditation. In ancient India, it was a huge volume, but today only fragments of it are scattered in secret Himalyan Ashrams. This volume was composed thousands of years ago by the sage Brhigu and originally had 12 chief divisions among its subjects like philosophy, yoga, meditation, states of consciousness, karma, moksh, life after death, etc.

All wisdom in this book was jealously guarded and kept secret, though in Tibet, a few students have studied it. It is mystic-philosophy which has no English translation. Our Rishis and Munis would attain higher-states like Samadhi and Turyaa with this knowledge, the premise of which is – ‘your own soul is your teacher if you meditate upon it’. Also the only teacher acknowledged is God. He is the only preceptor. He (God) as the Universal-soul is within us as atma and will teach us only if we give up all thoughts of the past or future and be in the moment. Whatever befalls is to be calmly accepted as the ‘Will of God’ and the aspirant must surrender his entire self – body, mind, actions and feelings – to the Almighty. One part is for the ordinary person who is a householder (grihastha) and another part is for the Sanyasi, who renounces life !

The final goal of Brahma-Chinta is the ‘sacred-trance’ meant for yogis in the state of Samadhi, wherein man obtains perfect proof that he is a soul. He frees his mind of his surroundings, objects fade away and the outside world seems to disappear. He discovers the soul as a living, real being within himself – its peace, bliss and power (called Sat-chit-anand) overwhelm him. A single experience of this changes everything and one feels a spiritual-rebirth. When one enters the sacred trance, a kind of vacuum is created within the mind and God enters and fills the vacuum.

When one experiences this, one is filled with intense happiness. Also, one feels great love for the all creation. The body appears to an observer as apparently dead because all breathing stops when the deepest level is attained. The trance is achieved in complete solitude and yogis can enter into it or get out of it at will. Even today, there are some yogis on the Tibetan side of the Himalayas who ‘live’ in this trance for several days, weeks or months. These real (Himalayan) Masters seclude themselves in mountain-caves entering the profoundest degree of Samadhi when pulse stops, heart no longer beats and blood doesn’t flow through the unmoving body. Anyone will think they are dead or in a coma but they are alive and fully conscious (in the supra-conscious state). They have entered the inner-world where they live higher lives. Their minds have become released from the limitations of body, emotions and feelings. They shun civilization and never part with their esoteric knowledge. They don’t show off their spiritual powers (siddhis) like today’s media-savvy fake gurus.

How unlike some of todays fake swamis, dhongi-babas and self-appointed gurus! Some spiritually inclined persons are born great, some achieve greatness and some appoint press agents and event managers. Sad, really sad!!