Jnana Bhumikas (ज्ञानभूमिकाः)

Jnana bhumikas (Samskrit: ज्ञानभूमिकाः) are the seven stages of unfoldment of spiritual knowledge. Described in Yoga Vasishta, a seminal work in the field of Vedanta, these seven stages are attained by the Sadhakas or seekers of the highest knowledge to know the Self or Brahman. Jnana (ज्ञानम्) in general means knowledge and refers specifically to higher knowledge in Indian texts. Jnana marga is the direct means to release or moksha, as per Advaita siddhanta.

Jnana or knowledge is the basis of rational and intelligent activity. Every system of thought believes that knowledge is either the nature or quality of the self acting through the mind, reaching out to the objects and making them known to the self.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Jnana-, bhakti-, and karma-yoga, the three main forms of “applied psychology” in the Indian tradition involve the systematic modification of the three basic capacities of the jiva, namely thinking, emotion, and action. In the Advaita system, vidya is gained through a specific kind of meditation, mainly involving the wise discrimination (nitya-anitya-vastu viveka) between what is changing and what is permanent, and hence its approach is called the path of knowledge (jnana marga). The Visishtadvaita theory of knowledge is different in that jnana, the attributive intelligence of the self, as contrasted with the antahkarana of the Advaita philosophy, can reveal both itself and the object outside it.

In contemporary psychology, the term cognition is a generic term for any process whereby an organism becomes aware of, or obtains knowledge of, an object or event. This includes the processes of sensation, perception, recognition, conceptualization, judging, reasoning, and so on. As in the case of many such terms, there is no exact equivalent for cognition in Sanskrit. Monier-Williams’s English–Sanskrit Dictionary gives jñāna, vijñāna, and prajñāna as the Sanskrit counterparts of cognition. While these terms connote shades of the complex views of knowledge, they do not emphasize the process aspect of the contemporary usage of the term cognition.

Sapta Jnana Bhumikas

Self realization, is a progressive path which requires active effort on the part of the aspirant to attain or experience the Brahman. In this path, an aspirant goes through seven stages of acquiring knowledge as per Yogavasishta. Maharshi Vasishta describes the seven stages of awareness, of knowledge to keep one from plunging into the mire of ignorance.

ज्ञानभूमिः शुभेच्छाख्या प्रथमा समुदाहृता । विचारणा द्वितीया तु तृतीया तनुमानसा ।। ५ सत्त्वापत्तिश्चतुर्थी स्यात्ततोऽसंसक्तिनामिका । पदार्थाभावनी षष्ठी सप्तमी तुर्यगा स्मृता ।। ६ (Yoga. Vasi. 3.118.5-6)

Seven grounds of awareness (stages of knowledge) for spiritual progress are (in developing) a right desire or good will, discrimination, purification of the mind, abiding in the self, rising above attachment, realization of objectlessness, and experiencing the highest state. They are further explained as follows.

1. शुभेच्छा॥ Shubheccha - dawn of the desire (to be liberated)
2. विचारणा॥ Vicharana - investigation into the nature of Reality
3. तनुमानसा ॥ Tanumanasa - the purification of the mind
4. सत्त्वापत्तिः॥ Satvapatti - the realization of the self within (refuge in self reliance)
5. असंशक्तिः ॥ Asamshakti - rising above the attachment to objects (apathy towards the world)
6. पदार्थाभावना ॥ Padarthabhavana - realization of the unreality or non-existence of the objects in Absolute (power of abstraction)
7. तुर्यगा॥ Turyaga - Attainment of the experience of the Absolute

A person having realized this experience attains Moksha.

शुभेच्छा॥ Subheccha

It is the dawn of the desire to be liberated. It is further explained as follows

स्थितः किं मूढ एवास्मि प्रेक्ष्येऽहं शास्त्रसज्जनैः । वैराग्यपूर्वमिच्छेति शुभेच्छेत्युच्यते बुधैः ।। ८ (Yoga. Vasi. 3.118.8)

First of all is the good wish (of knowledge and liberation) springing from dispassion from worldly matters consisting in the thought, “Why do I sit idle? I must know the shastras, and understand the philosophy in the company of good men.”

In this way, the wise people have called the desire for moksha as 'good wish'. The intention is to give up all (sinful) inauspicious desires i.e. theft, adultery, lying, deceit, deceit, rape, violence, indecent food, bad habits and pramad (useless effort) etc., and karmas prohibited through mind, speech and body. One should relinquish desire towards impermanent and temporary things of pleasure such as wife, progeny and wealth (ishana-traya) and refrain from performing yajnas, charity, penance and worship for such purposes or for getting rid of problems in life or illness. If by destiny one obtains these things of pleasure, hankering after them to secure more of such things have to be given up. One should not solicit or accept material things or services for satisfying self and unsolicited things or services should never be accepted. Basically, the selfish thoughts to fulfill desires through other people should be restrained. Constant engagement in bhakti, puja and thinking about philosophy of the Mahavakyas, reminding oneself that "I am not this body, I am Brahman" along with performing generally prescribed varnashrama duties leads one towards moksha. Listening to and following the advise of elders, Gurus along with participation in spiritual discourses and studying the texts are all the characteristics of the jnanabhumika of Shubeccha. It is also called "Shravana" because in this state, the aspirant seeks to hear and understand the textual injunctions and discourses.

विचारणा॥ Vicharana

Vicharana is the investigative thought about the nature of reality and discernment of satyam and mithya.

शास्त्रसज्जनसंपर्कवैराग्याभ्यासपूर्वकम् । सदाचारप्रवृत्तिर्या प्रोच्यते सा विचारणा ।। ९ (Yoga. Vasi. 3.118.9)

Discretion, arises from association with wise and good men, study of the scriptures, habitual aversion to worldliness, and consists in an inclination towards good conduct and doing all sorts of good acts is said to be the state of jnanabhumika called Vicharana. Performing service and listening to the discourses of sadhus and good people, by study of texts and practicing the principles of sadachara, cultivating noble divine gunas (daivisampatti) bring about a certain ability to discern between the worldly and beyond. Such a mental ground is said to be vicharana. The ability to differentiate between sat and asat or nitya-anitya (permanent and impermanent) constitutes विवेक (viveka). Constant awareness towards recognizing what is Atman and Anatman in each and every being or thing in all states gradually leads a person to viveka. Sat is something which is never destroyed and Asat is that which undergoes destruction.

नासतो विद्यते भावो नाभावो विद्यते सतः । उभयोरपि दृष्टोऽन्तस्त्वनयोस्तत्त्वदर्शिभिः ॥ २-१६॥ (Bhag. Gita. 2.16)

Meaning: Asat (unreal) can never persist and sat (real) can never change. The truth about both of these has been studied by the seers (tattvadarshi).

According to this Advaita principle, visible inert matter (the world) is said to be Asat, because it undergoes the birth (originates) and death (gets destroyed) cycles and Paramatma is the said to be real and unchanging Sat. Jivatma as a part of Paramatma is also Sat, one reality, but appears different due to Maya. Understanding and experiencing this philosophy is said called Viveka.

With this viveka (discerning knowledge) when one is able to separate the nitya vastu from anitya vastu, there develops a dispassion towards the things of worldly and beyond as well as towards karma - this dispassion is termed vairagya. It helps one to endure the dualities of the world with equanimity knowing they are all impermanent. It brings about a state of calmness or shanti, detaching the mind-body-sense complex from the external variegations. Since in this state, there is extensive thinking and internal churning on what was heard in the first bhumika (namely shastras and spiritual discourses), this jnana bhumika is also called Manana.

तनुमानसा ॥ Tanumanasa

It involves the control of the reins of the mind and sense-organs by the application of the principles of viveka and vicharana, from participating in worldly things.

विचारणाशुभेच्छाभ्यामिन्द्रियार्थेष्वसक्तता । यात्र सा तनुता भावात्प्रोच्यते तनुमानसा ।। १० (Yoga. Vasi. 3.118.10)

Meaning: Developing disinterest of the mind from sensual enjoyments. These are produced by the two former qualities of good will and discretion. And because as the mind starts turning inwards, withdrawing itself from outside things to become subtle, it is called Tanumanasa.

With the disappearance of worldly desires, interests and attachments, in the company of jnanis and their discourses, by constant practice of scriptural teachings, and application of the knowledge of viveka and by dispassionate (vairagya) nidhidhyasana - an aspirant sharpens his intellect and mind comfortably attains a high level of calmness, purification, subtleness and concentration. At this state the negative qualities inside the sadhaka disappear gradually getting filled up the daivi sampada - ahimsa, satya, astheya, brahmacharya, aparigraha etc and the gunas of shat-sampatti such as shama and dama etc.