Of the main contributions of Indian spirituality and philosophy to Humanity were the attempts to know and characterise the true self, also called spirit, and in sanskrit referred as Purusha, Atman, Jivatman, Purushatma, which in itself would have or manifest three main qualities or attributes, called Sat Chit Ananda, meaning sat - true being, chit - consciousness or intelligence, and ananda - bliss or beatitude. They corresponded to qualities and attributes that the human being discerned in God and in his own spiritual being.
Although this vision and understanding were gradually achieved by the rishis (seers) and Vedic yogis, as we can see in ancient texts, it was incorporated and developed by some darshanas or philosophical systems of India, especially Yoga Vedanta, as well as by the contributions of yogis who knew, meditated, and shared it. However, over time, and due to increasingly complicated and artificialised life contexts, many people forgot or lost connection and awareness of the first and third qualities or levels, and much more so outside India because this vision of reality was quite buried or manipulated by contrary or different religious and philosophical influences, as well trends of life. Therefore, it is important to seek out such qualities or attributes and strive to live more connected to this core of our innermost being, especially with the quality or attribute of bliss, ananda, which we might call joy, love and also divine grace.
As scholars and practitioners of Indian spirituality know, one of its last great representatives, Gurudev Ranade (3/7/1886 a 6/7/1957), to whom I have already dedicated some articles), was a very special being, as his life was at the same time that of a jnani yogi, with profound philosophical studies, a bhakta yogi, with much devotion, a karma yogi, very active in society, and a raja yogi, through concentration and meditation. Thus, he became a proficient teacher and philosopher, and a true guru, initiating and inspiring many disciples, leaving sown or disseminated in his books signs of valuable truths for pilgrims on the path of self-realization and reconnection with God.
Guru Ranade was born into a family of devotees and was initiated in 1901 by Shri Bhausaheb de Umadi, who in turn was initiated by Sri Nimbargi Maharaj (1790-1885), and his mahasamadhi, or place of disincarnation or final union on earth, is in Nimbal, a centre that is still active and visited by pilgrims today. And we can see the highly valuable lineage (sampradaya) of masters in the photograph.
Now B. R. Kulkarmi, a devoted disciple of Gurudev Ranade, in his book Critical and Constructive Aspects of Professor's Philosophy. R. D. Ranade, Belgaum, 1974, reflected, meditated, and summarised some of his teachings, and so naturally, the foundation or essence of consciousness as beatitude, ananda, is well addressed, on page 127 even stating: "But the distinctive contribution of Prof. Ranade's contribution to metaphysical-ethical thought is his doctrine of Beatificism. In fact, this doctrine pertains to mystical experiences and has metaphysical and ethical implications. It is important to remember that the subtitle of his proposed book, The Pathway to God, would be The Philosophy of Beatificism. Ranade considered the idealistic conception of self-consciousness as the central point of existence and showed that it is not human self-consciousness, but rather divine self-consciousness [what a great challenge] that should be the basic reality. And taking a step further, he even says that this central reality is not only consciousness but also bliss. 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-consciousness being the centre of reality, bliss becomes the centre. Instead of idealism, we have beatificism.
In this valuable paragraph about Gurudev Ranade's vision on the essence of human and Divine consciousness, we observe the rejection of identifying human beings as mere superior animals endowed with consciousness (originating from the biological brain and the interconnection of neurones), instead affirming that consciousness is already God within ourselves and that its essence is beatitude, ananda, even naming this doctrine as Beatificism...
Nowadays, amidst conflicts and genocides, violence and oppression, where we are constantly terrified or violated, isn't this beatific level within us an extremely important reality to be demanded, recognised, and more lived by us?
In this sense, not content with mere intellectual recognition or understanding, Guru Ranade, as a true sadhak, or a soul practicing sadhana, the spiritual path and meditation, with bhakti (love-devotion-aspiration), asks, exhorts and teaches us to achieve more, through devotion and meditation, the true essence of the self and of God: beatitude, ananda, shukam, joy, happiness.
Such a demand is, undeniably, a great challenge to be aspired to, desired, cherished, and felt, with perseverance, and for this reason, the words Sat Chit Ananda alone can constitute a motto, a support, a good mantra, and when we repeat and meditate on them, we may receive from our own atman, from the Masters or Saints, from the Divinity or Brahman some blessings or graces, namely joy, delight, ananda.
Substantiating his line of research, B. R. Kulkarni presents to us some texts in which Gurudev Ranade found this identity, such as in the Bhagavad Gita, VI, 28, where the fruit of pure vairagya or detachment, and the constant consciousness of God (brahma-sansparśham) create or give rise to shukam (pleasure-joy), the incipient concept of Ananda: "The self-controlled yogi, by uniting the self with God, becomes free from material contamination and, being in constant contact with the Supreme, attains the highest state of perfect happiness."
Also in the Taittiriya Upanishad, 21, it is said, with some rhetorical exaggeration: "Aum brahmavid apnoti param, tad esa, abhyukta, satyam jnanam anantam brahma, yo veda nihitam guhayam parame vyoman, so, asnute sarvan kaman saha, brahmana vipasciteti" "Brahman is Sat Chit Ananda." Whoever experiences it as existing hidden in the heart becomes free from all their desires instantly and without further manifestations, just like the omniscient Brahman."
Rhetorically, the quantities or measures of happiness achieved by man, the Angel (gandharva), and Brahman are then imagined, to make us more dedicated to the self-realization of atman-Brahman, for the union of the spirit with the Divine Being is the true happiness that surpasses all others by thousands.
Also from the fundamental advaitic text Brahma Sutras, 1.3.8, it refers to the mention of Brahman as Bhunam, that is, Infinite Bliss, which for Gurudev Ranade is yet another sign or proof that there is no supremacy of Chit (intelligence-consciousness) over Ananda in the characterisation of the Atman, as Sri Shankaracharya, the main acharya ore teacher of the Advaita or non-dualist school, had written in his commentaries, for both are united. Furthermore, Gurudev Ranade suggests that the two types of meditation, Pratikopasana, the meditation on a symbol of God, and Gunapasana, the one where God is personally felt and worshipped in attributes or qualities (or through them, explaining that this means or implies living each day some acts with the qualities of God that we worship and want to develop in ourselves), reach their highest level or third type of meditation in Ahamgrahopasana, the unitive meditation, in which the mantra So Ham (I am He) is experienced in the unity or union of the Spiritual Self and the Divine, generating in us the feeling of infinite bliss, Ananda.
Certainly, to reach the highest levels of communion, bliss, and unity, we must develop perseverance in devotional practice and self-awareness and receive subtle graces, which Gurudev Ranade also confirms through his own internal experiences, speaking, for example, of seeing the spiritual eye, the point or bindu of light, the vastu or spiriton (a name coined by him for the spirit), as well as colours, or hearing sounds, etc.
In reality, these graces that descend upon us from the spiritual planes and the guru to our bhava, or inner feeling, through japa, prayer-mantras, and meditation give us bliss and allow us to more fully realise our true essence of Satchitananda and better cooperate with the common and spiritual Good of Humanity in an equitable, multipolar, harmonious society.
May this small essay, like a tiny drop from the great Ocean of Brahman and Sat Chit Ananda, serve to intensify our pursuit of inner bliss, such a valuable potential, realised only through persevering self-awareness, aspiration, discernment, love, and unity...
May we be more in tune with Gurudev Ranade and the masters ain saints, and feel more Ananda, the spiritual and Divine Atman in our lives and consciousness, and share this with others, improving Humanity and the multipolar world that is being attempted to be built...
Om Sri Gurudev namah... Aum Sat Chit Ananda...
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