Gurudev Ranade on Sat Chit Ananda. From Kulkarni approach. For 2020 celebrations.

                                                    
One of the main contributions of Indian Philosophy to the world was a kind of definition or caracterization of the individual being or the entity, the self, the true I, as Sat Chit Ananda, meaning that each living individual being or spirit, on that level called Purusha, Atman or Jivatman, as having three main aspects: Sat - true being, Chit - consciousness or inteligence and Ananda - bliss or beatitude. 

If that vision and understanding was gradually achieved by the vedic rishis (seers) and yogis, as we can see in the old texts, and become accepted by some darshanas or philosophical systems of India, specially the Yoga Vedanta, with time and due to the complicate contexts of bodies, habits and societies, people  tended to forget or loose much of the awareness of the first and third caracterizations, and so  it is always important to reaffirm that, and to search to live and abide on that subtle but firm and true ground of our innermost being, with his innate qualities of identity. 
As we know, Gurudev Ranade (1886-1957) was a very special being, as his search was at the same time of a jnani, with deep philosophical studies, a bhakta, with much devotion, a karmin, active in the society and a raja yogin, in his concentrations and so he become a proficiente teacher and philosopher, and a true guru, leaving sowed or disseminated in his books many valuable signs and trues for the pilgrins on the path. 
Guru Ranade was initiated in 1901 by Shri Bhausaheb of Umadi, who in his turn was initiated by Sri Nimbargi Maharaj (1790-1885), and its mahasamadhi, or resting place of his final unification on earth, is in Nimbal. And we can see this lineage of so valuable masters in the photo.

 B. R. Kulkarmi, a lover or disciple of gurudev Ranade, in his valuable synthetic book Critical and Constructive Aspects of Prof. R. D. Ranade's Philosophy, Belgaum, Belgaum Samachar Press, 1974, has reflected and meditated, in many pages, some of these teachings. And so the foundation of the consciousness as beatitude is well aproached, and in page 127, affirms even: «But the distinctive contribution of Prof. Ranade to methaphysical-ethical thought is his doctrine of Beatificism. In fact this doctrine pertains to mystical experiences and has methaphysical and ethical implications. It is important to remember that the subtitle of his proposed book The pathway to God was to be The Philosophy of Beatificism. He has considered the idealistic conception of self-consciousness being the central point of existence and has shown that not humam self-consciousness but divine self-consciousness should be the basic reality. Now he goes a step further and says that this central reality is not merely consciousness but bliss as well. The axiological conception of bliss and the metaphysical conception of Brahman are the same. The identification of bliss with reality is beatificism. Instead of self-consciousnes being the centre of reality, bliss becomes the centre. Instead of idealism we have beatificism».

 In this paragraph so important he see Gurudev Ranade escaping from the reduction of human beings to simple higher animals, endowed with consciousness, and instead proposes that we recognize that the consciousness is already God within ourselves. 
But not staying satisfied with that, as it could become only a intelectual assumption or understanding, Guru Ranade, as a true sadhak, or a  soul doing sadhana, spiritual living and  meditation with bhakti (love-devotion-aspiration) asks us, exhorte us, to realize that the true essence of self and God is beatitude, ananda, shukam, joy, happiness.

 Indeed a great challenge to be aspired, wished, wanted and felt, with perseverance, and for that just in itself Sat Chit Ananda is indeed a good mantra, preparing us to receive simultaneously from the Masters some blessings or graces on our pratices and consciousness...                                    

Developing this line of research, advancing in his book, B. R. Kulkarni make us see the texts in which gurudev Ranade has found that identity, as the Bhagavad Gita, VI, 28, where the fruit of pure vairagya  and constant awarenees of god  (brahma-sansparśham) creates or gives rise to shukam (pleasure-joy), the incipiente concept of Ananda.

«The self-controlled yogi, thus uniting the self with God, becomes free from material contamination, and being in constant touch with the Supreme, achieves the highest state of perfect happiness.»                                                                          Also in Taittiriya Upanishad, 21, is said, with surely some rethoric advices: «Aum brahmavid apnoti param, tad esa, abhyukta, satyam jnanam anantam brahma, yo veda nihitam guhayam parame vyoman, so, asnute sarvan kaman saha, brahmana vipasciteti» «Brahmam is Sat Chit Ananda. He who experiences it as existing hidden in the heart, is free from all his desires instantaneously and without further manifestations, as happen with the omniscient Brahman.»
Then, the measures of happiness of a man, of an Angel (Gandharva), and of Brahman are imagined, in a way to make us more dedicated to the self-realization of atman-Brahman, the union of the spirit and the Divine Being, or the true happiness, that excels all the others by thousands...    

Also in the Brahma sutras, 1.3. 8 there is mention to Brahman being Bhunam, that infinite bliss, and for gurudev Ranade there is not a supremacy of Chit (inteligence-conscience) over Ananda as the caracterization of the atman, as Shankaracharya in his commentaries wanted, as both are united. 
Further, he sugests that the two types of meditation, Pratikopasana, or the one in a symbol of God, and Gunapasana where God is personally felt and worshiped with or through qualities (explaining that this means also living each day some acts with the qualities of God that we worship and want develop in us), attain their highest level in Ahamgrahopasana, the unitive meditation,the third type of meditation, in which the mantra So Ham (I am He) is experienced in the unity or union of the Spiritual Self and the Divine, making us feel that infinite bliss, ananda...
Surely to attain these higher levels of communion, bliss, unity we should develop perseverance and then receive graces,  and Ranade confirms that also by its own inner experiences, speaking for example of seeing the spiritual eye, the point or bindu of light, vastu or spiriton, as well colours, and also listening sounds, etc., etc..
Indeed these graces descending on us from the spiritual and guru plans to our bhava, japa and meditation give us bliss, and make us be more our true essence of satchitananda and from that realization we can serve better mankind in a harmonious society.

An interesting book from Kulkarni, indeed, from where I just picked up this small essay, a drop of water from the great Ocean of Brahman and of this Sat Chit Ananda that may be seen also as a potential, actualized only in love and unity...

May we be more in tune with gurudev Ranade and the Masters and feel more Ananda and the Divine Atman in your life and consciousness, and share it with others...
                                       Om Sri Gurabe namah