What is Ideation?

One’s mental flow is concerned with both ideation and meditation.

Ideation:

• is connected with the healthy condition and proper functioning of the glands and sub-glands.
• will not have any base to stand on without a clear-cut idea.
  • So idea must also be there.

Spiritual aspirants should always remember this idea.

What should human beings do in deep ideation?

They:

• should maintain the adjustment of their glands and sub-glands.
• should not ask for any occult power
• should take the ideation of the Supreme.

Inspired by that ideation, they should meditate on Parama Puruśa.

Meditation means concentrated thinking. It is associated with several subtler and important cells of the human brain.

Each nerve cell has its own controlling point. Collectively, the nerve cells have a supreme controlling point as the Guru cakra in Sanskrit, the plexus of the Guru.

• All the glands are controlled by this supreme controlling point.

So one’s meditation must be properly connected with this Guru cakra, the plexus of the Guru.

Shiva also says:

[There are seven requirements for success in any mission. The first is firm determination: “I must succeed.” The second is reverence. The third is guru pújá, or constant remembrance of one’s spiritual master.]

In Sanskrit, gu means “darkness” and ru means “dispeller”.

So guru means “one who removes the darkness from the mind”. The darkness of the mind must be dispelled. There should not be a festival of lights outside while one’s own house remains in darkness. There should also be illumination inside one’s own house, and this is the enlightenment of the mind, of the soul.

In the Vedic language the word guru is derived from the root gur plus the suffix un.

The root gur means “to train others how to speak, how to behave in a dignified manner”. The guru teaches us to follow a methodical way of life. To love is not the only work of the guru. One who only loves you is your enemy, and one who only punishes you is also your enemy. But the one who both loves and punishes in a balanced way is the real guru.

Meditation must be done in a methodical way. This concerns several nerve centres and also the collective centre of the nerve cells situated in the brain.

This pinnacled order of spirituality, its pinnacled point, its apexed point, is the supreme stance.

For this human beings have been making constant endeavours since time immemorial, and this effort has made them move ahead, bringing them to their present status.

Ideation must be associated with bliss.

Ideas are mainly of 3 types:

1. Intellectual-cum-intuitional
2. Actional
3. Devotional-cum-emotional

Regarding intellect and intuition it is said, Ekaḿ jiṋánam anantaḿ Brahma [“Brahma is infinite intellect personified”].

Therefore, spiritual aspirants have to attain Him through knowledge. This is what the adherents of the path of knowledge maintain.

There is an infinite flow of knowledge and intuition, they say, and there is no second entity. Whenever duality comes, it is only due to our ignorance, to our lack of true knowledge.

But you should remember that in most cases human intellect and intuition are wasted in extravaganza, in useless pursuits.

They are not at all utilized for constructive or worthwhile endeavours. And human intuitional power is also wasted in trying to exhibit occult powers. Such persons never get the opportunity to move towards Parama Puruśa.

Regarding action it is said, Karma Brahmeti karma bahu kurviita [“Work is Brahma, therefore work more and more”].

Everything in this universe justifies its existence by this sort of relentless mobility. This world is called ‘jagat’ which is derived from the root verb ‘gam’ plus the suffix ‘kvip’. It means “a mobile entity”.

The world is also called saḿsára, which is derived sam – sr + ghaiṋ: that is, “the entity which constantly keeps moving”.

So the karma yogiis say that everything in this universe is immersed in action, in mobility. Nothing is stationary, nothing remains fixed. So move on with your actional faculty. The karma yogiis, the followers of the path of action, say that action is everything – we achieve everything through action.

Some people think, “I am hungry, I want to eat liit́i [an Indian delicacy].”

But to eat liit́i we will have to make arrangements to procure gram flour, ghee, etc.

All this is done only through action.

The result of this action is that we can finally eat liit́i.

So karma is the source of everything, so say the followers of karma yoga. Therefore keep on working: Marte marte kám karo, kám karte karte maro [“Die while working, and work even while dying”].

Now, even those who are advocates of devotional or emotional faculties say that people get propensive propulsion from devotion or emotion.

When the mind moves along a particular track or follows a particular discipline in a methodical way, this is called “devotion” or bhakti; but when it does not follow a particular method, when it moves haphazardly, swept away by whim, it is called “emotion”.

This is the fundamental difference between devotion and emotion. You must know this clear-cut silver line of demarcation between devotion and emotion.

Those who adhere to this cult of pinnacled order know that there must be a happy blending amongst intellectual-cum-intuitional faculty, actional faculty and devotional-cum-emotional faculty. None of these is unimportant, all are of equal importance, but the finality comes in devotion.

That is, the final outcome or resultant of intellectual-cum-intuitional faculty and actional faculty is devotion, not emotion, and that is why the great sages of the past said,

Bhaktir Bhagavato sevá bhaktih prema svarúpinii; Bhaktiránanda rupá ca bhakti bhaktasya jiivanam. [Bhakti (devotion) is service to God; bhakti is the form taken by divine love; bhakti is the embodiment of bliss; bhakti is the life of the devotee.]

Thus we see that ideation is association with one or the other idea – knowledge, action or devotion – just as meditation is associated with ideology. Thus in meditation and ideology, the spiritual aspirant is moving toward the singular Supreme Entity, the pinnacled goal. If the mind accepts two goals, two Lords, the mind becomes bifurcated.

The ideology which is associated with meditation is more a theory than a cult, and when ideation is associated with idea, it is more a cult than a theory. And the highest expression of devotion is Ananyamamatá Viśńormamatá premasauṋgatá [“The exclusive devotion to the Supreme Entity to the exclusion of all others is called divine love”].

Where the thought-waves or thought-movements are goaded by a single idea, and where the culminating point is also a singular entity – that is, where the attraction for other entities, for the crude world or the psychic world are all goaded unto the Supreme Self, towards Viśńu – this is the supreme status of devotion. Viśńu comes from the root-verb vish which means “to permeate”. The Entity which permeates everything, which is present in each and every expressed entity, in each and every emanation of this universe, is Viśńu.

[This manifested universe is the expression of Viśńu, the latent all-pervading entity. Therefore a wise person should look upon everything as his or her own, from an integral viewpoint.]

So on the path of spiritual progress, all three – knowledge, action and devotion – are necessary. Devotion provides the sustenance, action provides the stamina of movement, and knowledge shows why and how the spiritual aspirants should move. So all three are important. But ultimately knowledge and action are merged in devotion, and thus the devotion is not devoid of knowledge or action. Maharshi Narada was the first propounder of this sort of devotional cult, which is not blind devotion but an ideal blending of knowledge, action and devotion.

This blended devotion enables spiritual aspirants to attain the pinnacled goal of their lives. It is this devotion that human beings have been seeking since time immemorial. When they finally attain the guru and get initiation, then they begin to walk on this path of devotion.

Those who have started on this path realize that they are sure to reach their destination, that to reach their goal is the sole reason for their birth.

You should remember why you have been born. Following the path of devotion, you will have to ultimately reach Parama Puruśa. This is the pinnacled point, the supreme point of human glory. You should always remember this, during your lifetime and even after your death.

3 June 1990 DMC, Anandanagar