Sun, 25 Aug 2013 19:49:05 -0000
Baba
Namaskar,
In His discourse appended below - "Cerebral and Extra-Cerebral Memory" - Baba clearly describes how young children can and do have vivid memories of their past life.
"The memory of its past life remains awake for approximately the first five years of its new life. Although the child remains in a new physical environment, mentally it continues to live the joys and sorrows of its previous life." (Yoga Psychology, Cerebral and Extra-Cerebral Memory)
In that circumstance, the child will talk about its past life, and if the parents ask the child questions then the child will feel encouraged to speak even more. Because when the child is not yet strongly associated with its new personality, it relives and thinks about past life experiences.
WHY INFANTS CRY AND LAUGH, SEEMINGLY MEANINGLESSLY
AND
WHY THEY FORGET THOSE MEMORIES AS THEY GROW OLDER
A young 6-month old infant is often lying in its crib with its eyes closed, just smiling or crying, or perhaps lost in thought. Most of the time those smiles and tears have nothing to do with the present circumstances. Certainly when it is hungry it may cry etc, but all those numerous moments in between feedings when that child is just lying for hours in its bed, that infant is fully absorbed with its past life experiences.
Those remembrances are reality for that child. That's because the infant's brain is not yet adequately developed and, even more importantly, their personality is not yet formed in their current life. So their entire psychic association and I-feeling is related with a prior life. As they review those memories in the mind, that child smiles about its happy recollections and cries about past times of trouble, pain, and agony.
So those past life memories have nothing to do with a child's brain. Rather the infant's subconscious mind is filled with stored memories from their past life. Those memories are wholly independent from the brain. That is why Baba terms such recollections as extra-cerebral memory - because they occur outside the brain.
As the years go by and that child's personality grows, their brain and nerve cells strengthen, and their individual identity becomes highly associated with the physical surroundings and circumstances of this present life. Then those past life memories quickly fade. Till that time however, in those early years that child is consumed with memories of its past life via their subconscious mind. And again Baba terms that as extra-cerebral memory.
That past life is not limited to life on earth nor for that matter to life as a human being. Those who are entering human life for the first time will recall their past life experiences as an animal. And those whose past life was on a different planet where they had a different form will recall those memories. Because, after all, the earth is not the only planet where living beings exist. This creation is vast and there is life across the spectrum.
Another aspect to the equation is the time factor - among others.
When thinking about a past life, a child might be recollecting an incident that occurred thousands of years ago. In that case, the parents have a hard time understanding what the child is talking about. Because when the time reference, geographical region, or language base are dramatically different from one life to the next, then it is extremely difficult to make a link between the two lives. In contrast, in those rare circumstances when one is reborn very quickly and in the same area as well, then it is much easier to communicate with the child and perhaps even make a link with past life experiences.
Regardless of the duration between the two lives, for the child there is not any gap in memory. Because at the time of death the mind stops functioning and the mind only begins functioning again once rebirth occurs. Between those two times there is no awareness - that period of time is a big blank.
So whether the span of time between one's death and the next birth is 5 days, 50 years, or 1,000 years, it is completely inconsequential. Since the mind is not operable in that interim period, there is absolutely no awareness of the passage of time. It is a big zero - no matter the actual number of years.
It is akin to a person going into a coma, whether that be for 15 days or 20 years. Then the patient in the coma does not feel any passage of time.
Same is the case with the span of time between one's death and their next life. At the time the mind is in a state of pause. That is why regardless of the circumstances, no matter how much time has passed, the young infant will recall its previous life memories as if it was only yesterday.
So every child has quite clear recollections of their past life. It is only as the brain develops and their personality grows that those memories fade.
Complications only arise if one grows and still associates with a past life. In that case a double personality develops. That is dangerous as one may become sick, diseased, and even die. But again in most cases those memories fade by the age of 4 or 6 years of age, and certainly by the age of 13 years of age.
Baba's recommendation is to give the baby a name and help cultivate the development of their new personality as soon as they are developmentally able. Then one will have a very healthy and natural childhood - and those past-life memories will fade. Such type of forgetfulness is the blessing of Parama Purusa. No one can endure walking around with the burden of their past life memories.
"Forgetfulness is a providential decree. Usually human beings forget their past lives. Is this forgetfulness a blessing or a curse? It is a blessing because human beings feel burdened by the weight of one life. It would be impossible for them to carry the burden of many lives together."
"The human mind is sentimental – full of love, affection, camaraderie, etc. People have a deep attraction to this world; they remain preoccupied throughout their lives with fears and anxieties for the safety of their families. So many problems have to be confronted. The problems of one life alone are enough to make people restless. If they had to face the problems of several lives, they would be unable to lead a natural life. The problems of the past lives, compounded by the strife of the present life, would drive them to the brink of insanity. Secondly, it is difficult for people to be detached from love and attachment for one life. So much effort is required to overcome the bondages of attachment and march towards Parama Puruśa. If the memory of the past lives is revived, the bondage of attachment will tighten its grip, putting a halt to spiritual advancement. One will be caught in the grip of worldly attachment. Thus the decree of merciful providence is, “Let human beings be oblivious of their past lives”." (Yoga Psychology, Cerebral and Extra-Cerebral Memory)
In the west, although reincarnation (i.e. rebirth) is not a widely accepted theory, there is growing interest and research about it. Step by step, there is mounting evidence about the veracity of reincarnation and past lives.
At the bottom of this posting is a link for more info about a 14 minute video: A case study of one small boy in the US who has very vivid memories of being a fighter pilot in World War II. His skeptical parents did not know what to think at first, until the child's memories created such a compelling account that they could no longer doubt the fact that their child was indeed the reincarnation of that fighter pilot.
Thus we see how modern day researchers are validating ancient yogic ideals and Baba's teachings.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Dharmendra
Anubhútaviśayásampramośah smrtih [“The re-creation of things already perceived by the mind is called memory”].
The objects or incidents that one recollects are called anubhútaviśayá or things already perceived. When the same objects or incidents are recreated in the mind, they are called smrti or memory. For instance, a person may not always recollect what he or she ate the previous day, but if he or she thinks hard, the items that were eaten will flash in the mind. In our daily life, we are constantly recollecting things perceived in the past.
How does one activate the memory? There are two ways: internal and external. The internal way is to revive the undistorted image of perceived incidents in the nerve cells. Perception in the primary stage is registered in the unit mind through the nerve cells, and the vibrations of those perceptions remain embedded in the nerve cells. The nerve cells in the brain differ according to the different vibrations they carry. Some carry vibrations of knowledge, others the vibrations of action. Microcosms with brains do not have much difficulty in creating ideas at the psychic level carried through inferences because the vibrations in the nerve cells remain undistorted for quite some time. For instance, if someone happens to see a white cow, he or she can easily say after five minutes what the colour of the cow was because the image of the cow imprinted in the nerve cells is still clear and distinct. That is why it is not difficult for the brain to recollect a memory by recreating ideational waves. But if we ask the same person to describe the cow after a few days, he or she will have more difficulty recollecting its colour because by then the impression of the cow in the nerve cells will have become indistinct. At that stage the perceived image is stored in the citta or ectoplasmic mind-stuff and not the brain. Hence the mind will have to labour hard to reformulate the image of the cow from the accumulated saḿskáras or the mental reactive momenta of past actions. The ability to do this depends on one’s psychic power.
If the external factors necessary for the revival of memory remain undisturbed for some time, one can more easily recreate events already perceived. For instance, if one happens to go to the spot where the cow was seen, one suddenly remembers that a white cow was tethered there. But, after a lapse of much time, when the external factors necessary for the re-creation of that image change drastically, it becomes difficult for the brain to remember the details of the event. At this stage, to recollect the image, one has to penetrate the citta of the unit mind. Of course, once an incident is recollected, its impression remains understood for some time before it finally disappears.
Thus the brain is nothing more than a worldly machine for mental recollection. Its various parts assist the mind in various ways. But the permanent abode of memory is the citta. So even though an impression has faded from the nerve cells, the mind can recreate the impression by its own power. When the brain assists in the recollection of any event or fact it is called “cerebral memory”.
The human mind has three stages: crude, subtle and causal. There are also three states in human existence: wakeful, dream and sleep. The crude mind remains active during the wakeful state and the causal mind remains active during sleep. The causal mind is the repository of infinite knowledge. Whatever saḿskáras we recreate in the wakeful and dream states remain stored in the causal mind. When the causal mind sleeps we call it “death”. Kárańamanasi diirghanidrá marańam [“Long sleep in the causal mind is death”].
After death the disembodied mind floats in the vast space with its unexpressed saḿskáras. Later on, with the cooperation of the mutative principle, the disembodied mind finds a suitable physical base. The memory of its past life remains awake for approximately the first five years of its new life. Although the child remains in a new physical environment, mentally it continues to live the joys and sorrows of its previous life. That is why children sometimes laugh and cry in their sleep, and their mothers often think they are talking with God. In colloquial Bengali this is called deola kát́á. In actual fact this laughter and crying is nothing but the reappearance of past memories...
PS Intro: When the devotee progresses in sadhana then the mind moves upwards, one stage to the next. The sadhaka in a lower bhava - like sakhya bhava etc - gradually moves upwards, closer to Parama Purusa, and reaches a higher bhava like madhura bhava etc. When one enters into this higher bhava - which is a new, closer relation - then at first the sadhaka does not feel comfortable expressing this new feeling to His Lord due to fear and shyness. That mentality is beautifully expressed in the following song.
"Udvela hiya' ka're ca'ya, shayane svapane nide ja'garan'e..." (PS 708)
Purport:
My melancholic, restless heart longs for the Loving One during sleep and dreams, when drowsy, and while awake - always. Who is that unknown, divine, charming Entity calling me - I do not know.
In this peak spring season, the atmosphere is charming and intoxicating. Everything is so sweet. The soothing ocean breeze is gently blowing in all directions. My heart longs for that unknown loved One. The sky is very attractive: The clouds are floating and the sun's rays peep through in between the clouds. The scene is very alluring; it is so beautiful. Who is that Divine Entity, drenched in the sweet aroma of flower nectar, sitting distant, singing such captivating songs. Listening to these melodic songs, my heart is very restless.
My mind is restless for Him. It rushes towards Him every moment - it is beyond my control. It does not know how to respond to the call of that Loved One. Without smashing the obstacles like shyness and fear etc, how can I tell Him all the accumulated feelings of my heart, I do not know.
O, my Dearmost, please do not remain distant. Come before me and grace me so I can surrender at Your lotus feet...
End Note for Prabhat Samgiita #708:
The sadhaka wants to express the feeling of their heart but it is difficult due to shyness. With this closer proximity to Ista everything feels very charming, but also very new. That is why the sadhaka feels shy. This song expresses the feeling of the arrival into that intimate stage when Parama Purusa is the Dearest One.
With a friend, one may not tell everything - but when one is very close then nothing is hidden. This song is close to that stage. This song will be realised by those doing regular dhyana and getting Baba's grace. They can understand well.
The very subtle and intimate feelings of love cannot be written directly; that is why this song is given in an indirect manner.
To learn more about the various bhavas, please refer to Namami Krsnasundaram discourses 7 & 27.
Baba
== REBIRTH IS NOT A MYTH; IT IS
REALITY; HERE IS THE PROOF ==
Namaskar,
In His discourse appended below - "Cerebral and Extra-Cerebral Memory" - Baba clearly describes how young children can and do have vivid memories of their past life.
"The memory of its past life remains awake for approximately the first five years of its new life. Although the child remains in a new physical environment, mentally it continues to live the joys and sorrows of its previous life." (Yoga Psychology, Cerebral and Extra-Cerebral Memory)
In that circumstance, the child will talk about its past life, and if the parents ask the child questions then the child will feel encouraged to speak even more. Because when the child is not yet strongly associated with its new personality, it relives and thinks about past life experiences.
WHY INFANTS CRY AND LAUGH, SEEMINGLY MEANINGLESSLY
AND
WHY THEY FORGET THOSE MEMORIES AS THEY GROW OLDER
A young 6-month old infant is often lying in its crib with its eyes closed, just smiling or crying, or perhaps lost in thought. Most of the time those smiles and tears have nothing to do with the present circumstances. Certainly when it is hungry it may cry etc, but all those numerous moments in between feedings when that child is just lying for hours in its bed, that infant is fully absorbed with its past life experiences.
Those remembrances are reality for that child. That's because the infant's brain is not yet adequately developed and, even more importantly, their personality is not yet formed in their current life. So their entire psychic association and I-feeling is related with a prior life. As they review those memories in the mind, that child smiles about its happy recollections and cries about past times of trouble, pain, and agony.
So those past life memories have nothing to do with a child's brain. Rather the infant's subconscious mind is filled with stored memories from their past life. Those memories are wholly independent from the brain. That is why Baba terms such recollections as extra-cerebral memory - because they occur outside the brain.
As the years go by and that child's personality grows, their brain and nerve cells strengthen, and their individual identity becomes highly associated with the physical surroundings and circumstances of this present life. Then those past life memories quickly fade. Till that time however, in those early years that child is consumed with memories of its past life via their subconscious mind. And again Baba terms that as extra-cerebral memory.
WHY PARENTS CANNOT UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE TALKING ABOUT
WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE TALKING ABOUT
That past life is not limited to life on earth nor for that matter to life as a human being. Those who are entering human life for the first time will recall their past life experiences as an animal. And those whose past life was on a different planet where they had a different form will recall those memories. Because, after all, the earth is not the only planet where living beings exist. This creation is vast and there is life across the spectrum.
Another aspect to the equation is the time factor - among others.
When thinking about a past life, a child might be recollecting an incident that occurred thousands of years ago. In that case, the parents have a hard time understanding what the child is talking about. Because when the time reference, geographical region, or language base are dramatically different from one life to the next, then it is extremely difficult to make a link between the two lives. In contrast, in those rare circumstances when one is reborn very quickly and in the same area as well, then it is much easier to communicate with the child and perhaps even make a link with past life experiences.
SPAN OF TIME BETWEEN LIVES IS IRRELEVANT
ONE REMEMBERS THEIR PAST LIFE LIKE YESTERDAY
ONE REMEMBERS THEIR PAST LIFE LIKE YESTERDAY
Regardless of the duration between the two lives, for the child there is not any gap in memory. Because at the time of death the mind stops functioning and the mind only begins functioning again once rebirth occurs. Between those two times there is no awareness - that period of time is a big blank.
So whether the span of time between one's death and the next birth is 5 days, 50 years, or 1,000 years, it is completely inconsequential. Since the mind is not operable in that interim period, there is absolutely no awareness of the passage of time. It is a big zero - no matter the actual number of years.
It is akin to a person going into a coma, whether that be for 15 days or 20 years. Then the patient in the coma does not feel any passage of time.
Same is the case with the span of time between one's death and their next life. At the time the mind is in a state of pause. That is why regardless of the circumstances, no matter how much time has passed, the young infant will recall its previous life memories as if it was only yesterday.
So every child has quite clear recollections of their past life. It is only as the brain develops and their personality grows that those memories fade.
POSSIBLE DANGER:
DEVELOPMENT OF A DUAL PERSONALITY
DEVELOPMENT OF A DUAL PERSONALITY
Complications only arise if one grows and still associates with a past life. In that case a double personality develops. That is dangerous as one may become sick, diseased, and even die. But again in most cases those memories fade by the age of 4 or 6 years of age, and certainly by the age of 13 years of age.
WHY BABA NAMING CEREMONY IS NEEDED
Baba's recommendation is to give the baby a name and help cultivate the development of their new personality as soon as they are developmentally able. Then one will have a very healthy and natural childhood - and those past-life memories will fade. Such type of forgetfulness is the blessing of Parama Purusa. No one can endure walking around with the burden of their past life memories.
"Forgetfulness is a providential decree. Usually human beings forget their past lives. Is this forgetfulness a blessing or a curse? It is a blessing because human beings feel burdened by the weight of one life. It would be impossible for them to carry the burden of many lives together."
"The human mind is sentimental – full of love, affection, camaraderie, etc. People have a deep attraction to this world; they remain preoccupied throughout their lives with fears and anxieties for the safety of their families. So many problems have to be confronted. The problems of one life alone are enough to make people restless. If they had to face the problems of several lives, they would be unable to lead a natural life. The problems of the past lives, compounded by the strife of the present life, would drive them to the brink of insanity. Secondly, it is difficult for people to be detached from love and attachment for one life. So much effort is required to overcome the bondages of attachment and march towards Parama Puruśa. If the memory of the past lives is revived, the bondage of attachment will tighten its grip, putting a halt to spiritual advancement. One will be caught in the grip of worldly attachment. Thus the decree of merciful providence is, “Let human beings be oblivious of their past lives”." (Yoga Psychology, Cerebral and Extra-Cerebral Memory)
VERY COMPELLING VIDEO:
A CASE STUDY OF ONE YOUNG BOY AND REMARKABLE PAST LIFE MEMORIES
A CASE STUDY OF ONE YOUNG BOY AND REMARKABLE PAST LIFE MEMORIES
In the west, although reincarnation (i.e. rebirth) is not a widely accepted theory, there is growing interest and research about it. Step by step, there is mounting evidence about the veracity of reincarnation and past lives.
At the bottom of this posting is a link for more info about a 14 minute video: A case study of one small boy in the US who has very vivid memories of being a fighter pilot in World War II. His skeptical parents did not know what to think at first, until the child's memories created such a compelling account that they could no longer doubt the fact that their child was indeed the reincarnation of that fighter pilot.
Thus we see how modern day researchers are validating ancient yogic ideals and Baba's teachings.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Dharmendra
Note 1: BABA'S DISCOURSE ON PAST LIFE
MEMORIES IN CHILDHOOD
Cerebral and Extra-Cerebral Memory
30 December 1970, Ranchi
30 December 1970, Ranchi
Anubhútaviśayásampramośah smrtih [“The re-creation of things already perceived by the mind is called memory”].
The objects or incidents that one recollects are called anubhútaviśayá or things already perceived. When the same objects or incidents are recreated in the mind, they are called smrti or memory. For instance, a person may not always recollect what he or she ate the previous day, but if he or she thinks hard, the items that were eaten will flash in the mind. In our daily life, we are constantly recollecting things perceived in the past.
How does one activate the memory? There are two ways: internal and external. The internal way is to revive the undistorted image of perceived incidents in the nerve cells. Perception in the primary stage is registered in the unit mind through the nerve cells, and the vibrations of those perceptions remain embedded in the nerve cells. The nerve cells in the brain differ according to the different vibrations they carry. Some carry vibrations of knowledge, others the vibrations of action. Microcosms with brains do not have much difficulty in creating ideas at the psychic level carried through inferences because the vibrations in the nerve cells remain undistorted for quite some time. For instance, if someone happens to see a white cow, he or she can easily say after five minutes what the colour of the cow was because the image of the cow imprinted in the nerve cells is still clear and distinct. That is why it is not difficult for the brain to recollect a memory by recreating ideational waves. But if we ask the same person to describe the cow after a few days, he or she will have more difficulty recollecting its colour because by then the impression of the cow in the nerve cells will have become indistinct. At that stage the perceived image is stored in the citta or ectoplasmic mind-stuff and not the brain. Hence the mind will have to labour hard to reformulate the image of the cow from the accumulated saḿskáras or the mental reactive momenta of past actions. The ability to do this depends on one’s psychic power.
If the external factors necessary for the revival of memory remain undisturbed for some time, one can more easily recreate events already perceived. For instance, if one happens to go to the spot where the cow was seen, one suddenly remembers that a white cow was tethered there. But, after a lapse of much time, when the external factors necessary for the re-creation of that image change drastically, it becomes difficult for the brain to remember the details of the event. At this stage, to recollect the image, one has to penetrate the citta of the unit mind. Of course, once an incident is recollected, its impression remains understood for some time before it finally disappears.
Thus the brain is nothing more than a worldly machine for mental recollection. Its various parts assist the mind in various ways. But the permanent abode of memory is the citta. So even though an impression has faded from the nerve cells, the mind can recreate the impression by its own power. When the brain assists in the recollection of any event or fact it is called “cerebral memory”.
The human mind has three stages: crude, subtle and causal. There are also three states in human existence: wakeful, dream and sleep. The crude mind remains active during the wakeful state and the causal mind remains active during sleep. The causal mind is the repository of infinite knowledge. Whatever saḿskáras we recreate in the wakeful and dream states remain stored in the causal mind. When the causal mind sleeps we call it “death”. Kárańamanasi diirghanidrá marańam [“Long sleep in the causal mind is death”].
After death the disembodied mind floats in the vast space with its unexpressed saḿskáras. Later on, with the cooperation of the mutative principle, the disembodied mind finds a suitable physical base. The memory of its past life remains awake for approximately the first five years of its new life. Although the child remains in a new physical environment, mentally it continues to live the joys and sorrows of its previous life. That is why children sometimes laugh and cry in their sleep, and their mothers often think they are talking with God. In colloquial Bengali this is called deola kát́á. In actual fact this laughter and crying is nothing but the reappearance of past memories...
PRABHAT SAMGIITA
PS Intro: When the devotee progresses in sadhana then the mind moves upwards, one stage to the next. The sadhaka in a lower bhava - like sakhya bhava etc - gradually moves upwards, closer to Parama Purusa, and reaches a higher bhava like madhura bhava etc. When one enters into this higher bhava - which is a new, closer relation - then at first the sadhaka does not feel comfortable expressing this new feeling to His Lord due to fear and shyness. That mentality is beautifully expressed in the following song.
"Udvela hiya' ka're ca'ya, shayane svapane nide ja'garan'e..." (PS 708)
Purport:
My melancholic, restless heart longs for the Loving One during sleep and dreams, when drowsy, and while awake - always. Who is that unknown, divine, charming Entity calling me - I do not know.
In this peak spring season, the atmosphere is charming and intoxicating. Everything is so sweet. The soothing ocean breeze is gently blowing in all directions. My heart longs for that unknown loved One. The sky is very attractive: The clouds are floating and the sun's rays peep through in between the clouds. The scene is very alluring; it is so beautiful. Who is that Divine Entity, drenched in the sweet aroma of flower nectar, sitting distant, singing such captivating songs. Listening to these melodic songs, my heart is very restless.
My mind is restless for Him. It rushes towards Him every moment - it is beyond my control. It does not know how to respond to the call of that Loved One. Without smashing the obstacles like shyness and fear etc, how can I tell Him all the accumulated feelings of my heart, I do not know.
O, my Dearmost, please do not remain distant. Come before me and grace me so I can surrender at Your lotus feet...
End Note for Prabhat Samgiita #708:
The sadhaka wants to express the feeling of their heart but it is difficult due to shyness. With this closer proximity to Ista everything feels very charming, but also very new. That is why the sadhaka feels shy. This song expresses the feeling of the arrival into that intimate stage when Parama Purusa is the Dearest One.
With a friend, one may not tell everything - but when one is very close then nothing is hidden. This song is close to that stage. This song will be realised by those doing regular dhyana and getting Baba's grace. They can understand well.
The very subtle and intimate feelings of love cannot be written directly; that is why this song is given in an indirect manner.
To learn more about the various bhavas, please refer to Namami Krsnasundaram discourses 7 & 27.
