Nirgune nischala nishthaa sagune sarasaa ratihi |

Sangamo madhuraschaayam deshikeno mahaatmani

 

 

In our Teacher who is indeed a great soul, we find a sweet confluence of firm abidance in the Formless Self and joyous revelry in the Truth with the attributes. 

 

The Form & Formless

 

The Upanishads say that a Pure Mind and a sharp and subtle intellect is required to know the Self. Right now our mind is restless, impulsive, attached and unyielding. It needs a support to become single pointed and pure. The form of the Lord can serve as an effective support for those who are emotion-oriented. Breath, light, chakras etc. are other supports but the form invokes emotions and surrender. Saguna Saakaar Upasana or Worship of a form is a very important step in evolution. Form is not just a picture or an idol. It represents the Lord. Emotions get channelized by cultivating a relationship with the Lord and ego surrenders. Even in the Upanishads some supports such as the lightning, winking of eye, purusha is the size of a thumb etc. are provided to make mind single pointed and pure. 

 

Swami Chinmayananda used the form of Lord Shiva. One can do Japa of Om Namah Shivaya here. 

 

Those who are intellectual, chose the path of Contemplation. Through contemplation they pierce through the form with the intellect and see what that form represents. Intellectualism must be sweetened with devotion and reverence. Heartfelt emotions must be reinforced with knowledge. The head and the heart must merge together into intuition to realise the Truth which is beyond both. 

 

One can listen to the chanting of Nirvana shatkam and contemplate.

 

Why worship a form?

 

Both the mind and intellect are nothing but thoughts. It is not sufficient if they leisurely wander around the concept of the Lord, but they actually have to penetrate, delve into, merge and ultimately dissolve themselves to become the very ideal perfection, which the Lord represents. It is not merely a “thought contact” but an actual “thought penetration”. When a devotee’s thoughts gush forward in sincerity, in a newly found urge of irrepressible love towards the Lord, the devotee, as a personality, ends for the time being, and himself acquires the glow and the beauty of the Lord – of – his – heart. - ll Commentary on Geeta.12.2 ll

 

What is Formless Contemplation?

 

This is the Nirguna Nirakaar Upasana. A seeker uses pointers of the Absolute Truth and lifts the mind steadily to the state of Consciousness indicated by the pointers through contemplation. One pierces the form by contemplating on its true Nature as one’s Own Self.

 

In Swami Chinmayananda we find a rare confluence of both - Form & Formless. Swami Chinmayananda’s heart was devoted to Lord Shiva & Swami Tapovanam and head was engaged in contemplation on the Self – Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham.

 

Design Notes

 

Form & Formless

 

This exhibit depicts the transition of form to formless through a play of light. The visitor sees the form of Lord Shiva appearing on a thin gauze which slowly disappears to reveal blue light, depicting form to formless.