Śrī Devī-Kālottara 15-17: the Last Technique
Channel: Consciousness Research Centre
Date: 2019-03-09

This series is classified Vivartha-vāda | Rāja-yoga | Suśupti | Ājñā-cakra

Download the complete text:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OGKZTHmgf7_5CfJsTNjpsJ9FEzOeUZPM/view?usp=sharing

Also see Bhikkhu Katukurunde Ñānananda’s brilliant lecture series, “Nibbāna, the Mind Stilled” complete edition:
http://seeingthroughthenet.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/NMS_LE.pdf

15. Instead of following this direct path, do not ever contemplate even in the least upon cakras (located in six adhāras, centers in the body), nādīs (subtle nerves that produce the ten divine sounds such as praṇava), the deities associated with the lotus seats (in the adhāra-cakras, beginning with Vināyaka), the mantrakṣaras (potent sound syllables for the worship of these deities) and the diverse maṇḍala-mūrtis (the God- aspects, starting from those controlling the sun, Sūrya-maṇḍala, the moon, Chandra- maṇḍala, and fire, Agni-maṇḍala).

Note: Some aspirants indulge in severe austerities and arduous practices, mastering several techniques and incidentally attaining extraordinary supernatural powers. All these are to be shunned as they do not lead to ultimate peace and joy. On the other hand, the path of kāla-jñāna described here is a direct path to mukti.

16. Those who seek everlasting liberation need not endeavor to practise repetition and countless verse mantras (repeating potent scriptural words or texts to gain various ends), and methods of yoga such as breath control (praṇāyama), breath retention (kumbhaka) and concentration.

17. There is no room for performing pūjā (worship of deities), namaskaram (paying homage by prostration), japa (incantation), dhyāna (contemplation) and so on. Hear from me that the highest truth acclaimed in the Vedas can be known only through jñāna; hence, there is absolutely no need to know anything outside of oneself.

Enlightenment is a special mode of attention, regarding the four objects of contemplation in the Satipahānasutta - body, feelings, mind, and mind-objects. This revealed a certain middle path indicated by the Buddha. 

There is a thematic paragraph, occurring throughout the Satipahānasutta, which outlines a method of using objects and 
concepts for satipahāna meditation without dogmatic involvement. 
This leads the meditator to a particular kind of attitude, summed up 
by the concluding phrase: "He abides independent and does not cling 
to anything in the world": anissito ca viharati, na ca kiñci loke upā-
diyati.
 
By way of clarification, we brought in the simile of a scaffolding 
for a building, that here the concepts only serve as a scaffolding for 
building up mindfulness and knowledge. Talking about the scaffold-
ing, we are reminded of two different attitudes, namely, the attitude 
of leaning on to and dwelling in the scaffolding itself, and the en-
lightened attitude of merely utilizing it for the purpose of erecting a 
building. 

Words and concepts have to be made use of, for attaining Nibbāna. But here the aim is only the up-building of mindfulness and knowledge. Once their purpose is served, they can be dismantled without being a bother to the mind. This is the significance of the concluding phrase "He abides independent and does not cling to anything in the world".

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Dharmasār Video Series Index:
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Four States of Consciousness Diagram: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13OWr_2V857yq7AjS59yhF4ub2q9k8Kl9/view?usp=sharing

Dharmasār Complete Archive Library:
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