The mark at the middle of two eyebrows symbolises opening of third eye (spiritual eye) which implies enlightenment. The three lines on the forehead symbolise the gross body, subtle body and causal body that are reduced to ashes when the third eye opens and enlightenment happens. These words may sound like something dramatic takes place when enlightenment happens but the fact is that if the process of Self Inquiry is followed to attain enlightenment, the changes take place gradually. It is not that all changes take place during direct realisation. Also, changes continue to take place after enlightenment as unconscious mind takes time to change.
Meaning: We see that our sleep too (which can be called as our maya) does create the conscious Jiva and Ishvar of the dream. Then, why should you be surprised if the grand maya creates conscious Jivas and Ishvar?
During Self Inquiry one can try to figure out how vrittis (mental modifications, thought waves) originate or how thoughts pop up every now and then making us do things like puppets are made to do things. This eventually leads us to know that we are programmed and are not really the doers. Loss of doership is the key in the final stages of Self Realisation where the one who was doing the Self Inquiry surrenders knowing that it is not the doer.
Meaning: All the vrittis are born sequentially after gaps. When one vritti is destroyed, another one is born. One should understand the origin of third, fourth etc. vrittis. All vrittis disappear during deep sleep, unconscious state, samadhi and not even one remains out of those.
It is said that while tomorrow you can forget what you hear today but you seldom forget cycling or swimming. Self-Realisation/Aparokshanubhooti is the direct knowledge of the Self. It is not a bookish knowledge, epiphany without true realisation, belief or faith.
The above implies that once the intellect develops to recognise the truth of the Atman then any behaviour/false-identification involving/caused-due-to body, mind, energy, intellect, bliss does not cause the loss of this intellect. To live in the apparent reality, false identification has to be done. The enlightened person does respond when called by a name. He/she still signs cheques and does all the routine jobs involving false identifications. But, just like an actor does not remain character of the play after the act, the enlightened person can get rid of these false identifications. Aparokshanubooti (direct knowledge) is generally irreversible in the long run.
It is the nature of the mind to wander. It slips into the past or to the future every now and then. When mind slips into the past it often causes worry and when it slips into the future it often causes anxiety. Intellect has to be used to keep it in present as intellect controls the mind.
Here are 3 steps to live in the present according to Swami Anubhavananda Saraswati:
Meaning: Whether my body worships the Gods, takes bath, goes to the toilet or goes begging, whether my voice does AUM japa or chants Vedantashastra, whether my intellect wishes to remember Vishnu or disappears in bliss, I am neither the doer nor the owner of all these acts. I am the witness to all these.
Atman (Self) is often defined as Sat-Chit-Aanand. Sat implies forever/permanent/existence, Chit implies self revealing consciousness and Aanand generally implies bliss. Definition of something means all conditions should be satisfied at all time.
Emotions come and go so how can an emotion like bliss always be permanent? For example, bliss cannot be experienced while watching horror movie or while watching a bad dream. Also, Atman is everywhere whether we speak of living beings or non-living objects. How can bliss be associated with a non-living entity like stone? How can bliss be associated with living entity not capable of experiencing bliss for example certain microbes/insects/animals etc. Also, Atman is the knower of everything including bliss, how can it itself be bliss?
If Aanand is considered as Anant which means limitless/infinite, this confusion would not be there and Atman indeed is limitless/whole/infinite. The word bliss when used in the context of Atman should be seen in this light. It is true that the more mind abides in Self, the happier it is. So, the words bliss & aanand can be used in their general sense also but they cannot be the direct representative of permanence when used this way.
Perhaps a Sanskrit scholar can look into the origin of the words Anant & Aanand.
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