Yoga Vashishta’s Jnana Sapta Bhoomika

Yoga Vashishta’s Sapta Bhoomika are also called Jnana Bhoomika. These are the seven stages on the path of Self-Realisation and have been explained in Nirvana prakarana of Yoga Vasishta, as reply to Sri Rama’s question about the seven stages of spiritual Jnanam and the characteristics of Jnana yoga at different stages.

The seven stages are as follows:
1) Subheccha (longing for the Truth)
2) Vicharana (right inquiry)
3) Tanumanasi (attenuation or thinning out, of mental activities)
4) Sattvapatti (attainment of sattva, “reality”)
5) Asamsakti (unaffected by anything)
6) Padartha Bhavana (seeing Brahman everywhere)
7) Turiya or Turiyatita (perpetual Samadhi)

Let’s understand all these stages:

Subheccha – Shub(good) Ichha (truth, desire), Longing for the truth or Desire for knowledge.   The initial stage involves an aspirant’s desire for knowledge and wisdom, a longing to understand the true nature of reality and existence.  The Subheccha or good desire forms the first Bhoomika or stage of Jnanam. The first stage is the substratum of the other stages. The sadhaka feels a deep yearning to be free from Samsara; rightly distinguishes between permanent and impermanent; cultivates dislike for worldly pleasures; acquires mastery over his physical and mental faculties through Sadhana Chathushtaya Sampaththi, a preliminary stage in Jnana yoga.  In nutshell, sādhaka rightly distinguishes between permanent and impermanent; cultivates dislike for worldly pleasures; acquires mastery over his physical and mental faculties; and feels a deep yearning to be free from the world.  The moment the student realizes that there must be something beyond the mind/body senses and receives a call to inquire further and seek the truth, they must face 4 obstacles to transcend Subheccha:

• Viveka: right discrimination between impermanent and permanent. Sadhaka gains the capacity to separate what is pure illusion, and what is the path towards the Self. They must realize the difference between the experience and experiencer.
• Vairagya: Cultivated dislike or dispassion for worldly pleasures. Also known as attachment. Vairagya is a beautiful concept, it doesn’t mean to give up the things that make us happy, it means deeply inquiring what is the true nature of joy, and realizing it is possible to find it on internal subjects and not only on external objects.
• Sat-sampat: Control over mental and physical organs. By gaining control over the body, one can gain control over the mind and attain deep meditative states where we get glimpses of our true Self. Little by little (and very slowly) these glimpses become clearer and longer.
• Mumuksutva: After gaining control over the senses, Sadhaka feels a deep yearning to be free from samsara (the material world, or reincarnation cycle)

Vicharana – The right inquiry.  In this stage, the seeker engages in deep contemplation and analysis, questioning the nature of reality, the self, and the universe. It involves intellectual exploration and questioning.  The student at this stage has become a sadhaka (practitioner). They are slowly transcending mental limitations by digging deeper into themselves, asking questions such as” Where do I come from, and where do I go back to?” “What happens to the soul when I leave my physical body?”. The Sadhaka has pondered over what he has read, heard and realized in his life about self-realization.  This will irrigate the mind with the waters of discrimination and protect it. The sadhaka ponders over what he or she has read, heard, and has realized in his or her life. Constant Atma Vichara forms the second stage and this corresponds to the stage of sravanam and mananam in Jnana Yoga.

Tanumanasi – Tanu (one-pointed) manas (mind) [ attenuation of mental activities] – Thinning of the mind. This stage is characterized by a subtle and refined mind, where the mind becomes less distracted and more focused. The seeker experiences a sense of peace and concentration.  Through sadhanas in this stage, the mind abandons the many, and remains fixed on the One. Hence the name Tanumanasi. They are not yet self-realized, but they have a deeper understanding that oneness is the path.  This is attained through the cultivation of special indifference to objects. This stage is also known by the name Asanga Bhavana. In the third stage, the aspirant is free from all attractions. If any one dies in the third stage, he will remain in heaven for a long time and will reincarnate on earth again as a Jnani. This stage corresponds to Nitidyasanam in Jnana Yoga wherein one immerses himself in Athma Dhyanam for the removal of viparitha bhavanas.  The mind of the Sadhaka, abandoning the many, remains fixed on the One.

Sattvapatti – sattva (purity) pati (arrival) – Attainment of Purity or Sattva.  In this stage all Vasanas will be destroyed to the root. Those who have reached the fourth stage will look upon all things of the universe with an equal eye.  In this stage, there is no division or duality. Oneness has been realized and the Sadhaka becomes a Brahmavid, or knower of Brahman (Sanskrit for Self). The practitioner is realized, and the mind/body senses are merged with Brahman.  This is the stage where practitioners are called Sages/Swamis, and supernatural powers begin to manifest. Access to inner voice, enter into other people’s bodies, read minds. The practitioner gains knowledge of all past, present and future, and it it’s nature is 100% sattvic (pure).  The Yogi, at this stage, is called Brahmavid (“knower of Brahman”). In the previous four stages, the yogi is subject to sañcita, Prārabdha and Āgamī forms of karma. He or she has been practicing Samprajñāta Samādhi (contemplation), in which the consciousness of duality still exists. There’s a deeper understanding of the spiritual teachings and a sense of detachment from the material world.

Asamsakti – “the Self is in me” – unaffected by anything, When the mind remains in the transcendental state alone, the Jnani is said to have reached the fifth stage. With the total dissolution of the mind, the world delusion will not arise in him. All notions of duality and multiplicity would completely vanish. Attaining the fifth stage, he will be free from all the toils and tribulations arising on account of the feeling of duality. He will be always blissful and awakened within. As regards the reactions of the mind, such as sukha and dukha, he will be completely oblivious to them as in deep slumber.  After reaching purity and attainting supernatural powers, the practitioner attains spiritual powers, and is unaffected by any other power in the universe. They have completely realized the Self within them and remains like the lotus on muddy water: unaffected. At this time they don’t need to do much actions since their past (Sanchita) and future (agami) karma are cleared, and he needs to destroy the present (prarabdha) one.  The yogi (now called Brahmavidvara) performs his or her necessary duties, without a sense of involvement.

Padartha Bhavana –“the Self is everywhere, (sees Brahman everywhere)“ – Merged with the absolute – knowledge of reality – In this, they realize the Self everywhere. They have merged with their object of meditation and external things do not appear to exist.  External things do not appear to exist to the Jnani, now called Brahmavidvariya; in essence there is a non-cognition of ‘objects’ as the separation between subject and a distinct object is dissolved; and tasks get performed without any sense of agency (doership). At this stage a Jnani has to be woken up from samadhi, but even after being woken up he continues in half-samadhi state only.   External things do not appear to exist to the yogi; in essence there is a non-cognition of ‘objects’ as the separation between subject and a distinct object is dissolved; and tasks get performed without any sense of agency (doership). Sañcita and Āgamī karma are now destroyed; only a small amount of Prārabdha karma remains

Turiya – superconscious state – final liberation – (perpetual samādhi) – This is the state of superconsciousness.  The waking, dreaming and deep sleep stage are merged, and he experiences perpetual samadhi (liberation). The practitioner is free from the re-incarnation cycle, and the soul will leave the body approximately three days after entering the final stage. There is no coming back again once he goes back to oneness. The state of Turiya is also known by the name Turiyatita. There are no Sankalpas. All the Gunas disappear. This is above the reach of mind and speech. The Jnani in this stage is completely divested of all Vasanas. He is free from all ideas of difference and non-difference, ‘I’ and ‘not-I,’ being and non-being. Jnani at this stage is always in deep meditation and cannot be woken up by others.  The yogi is known as Brahmavidvariṣṭha and does not perform activities, either by his will or the promptings of others.