Manana means understanding what is being said and make it his own. Sitting alone and reflecting on what Sadguru has said, help in realising the ultimate truth. The Sadhaka becomes firm in his realisation that he is atman. The task is not yet complete when Sadhaka is engaged in his daily tasks, he is pulled by the powerful current of the belief that he is the body. This identification with the body has to be completely noted out. This is made possible by Nididhyasa. Shravan and manana are reinforced by Nidhidhyasa, Nodhidhyasa can be summerised in the Saying. Yogena — Abhyasanam Nityam. Here yoga stands for abiding in oneself or merging oneself in atman or to stay in the state of atman. If shravana and manana is not followed by Nidi-dhyasana there would be a slip between cup and lip. Sakshatkara means to remain constantly in Sat-chit-anand or existence consciousness — bliss state. Free from bondage and misery: Due to ignorance you think you are the body and the mind. This leads to the wrong idea that, the characteristics of the body and mind like health and illness, youth or old age, caste etc, are applicable to you. You forget that you are the atman and suffer greatly. This is bondage thus the human being has imposed on himself what he is not. If a red dahlia flower is placed near a clear crystal, the later appears to be red. Take away the red flower the crystal once again appears clear and colourless. Similarly in the presence of the body, the atman appears to have the qualities of the body. If you want to be free from bondage and misery throw away the add-ons one by one and ultimately you alone will remain.
Throw away the idea of my body, my world and what remains is the real you, the atman. Atman is perfect. It is bliss personified. Where as there are number of deficiencies in other kind of happiness they wax and wave and ultimately perish altogether.
The same atman is present in all: To be blissful you need not make any efforts. You simply have to be your self. You are yourself when you are in sound sleep or when you are sitting at ease alone in peace and quiet. There was no object to enjoy yet you were so happy in your natural state of being.
Even though this is the case, you feel there is void because you do not recognise your own self present there and you seek happiness outside.
There is only one atman in all beings. One and only one moon is reflected in a lake, in the water of well and in the pot of water kept outside, similarly the same atman is reflected in each being from God Brahman to in tiny insect you moan when you see changes in the body and its ultimate obliteration diseases and sufferings are for the body and are unrelated to you.
When you realise that you are not the body but you are atman which is not affected, you feel you are free.
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