The word ‘Darshan’ means ‘to have a glimpse of.’ Darshan is traditionally used to describe ‘the moment’ when we behold a deity, an Avatar, a saint, or an Enlightened Being.
The experience of Darshan is highly revered in the Vedic tradition, as just seeing such a being can cleanse the karmas of lifetimes and create a deep and lasting transformation within the receiver.
Darshan is something far beyond mere physical ‘seeing.’ Like many mystical Sanskrit words, it is a word that cannot be directly translated. Still, instead, it has to be experienced.
Darshan is ever-present
Darshan is the powerful superconscious vibration that is always present around an Avatar.
Although we usually speak of ‘getting’ the Darshan of an evolved soul, an Avatar does not actually ‘give’ Darshan – He radiates Darshan. Just as the sun continuously shines a light, whether anybody is present to receive it, the Avataric consciousness forever radiates its graceful presence. The auspicious moment when each receiver can ‘catch it’ becomes the moment of Darshan for that individual.
Darshan can manifest in many forms.
1. Physical – in the presence of an Enlightened Master or an Avatar
2. Physical – in the presence of an energized Deity
3. Perceptual – An intermediate level (between 2 & 3) would be the Darshan of the Ishtadevata or Deity in the form of the Master (e.g., people seeing Sai Baba or Meenakshi in Swamiji’s form). This is not directly perceiving but using the existing form to project/perceive the desired form. It could be a mental projection resulting from a deep yearning on the part of the devotee or an actual vision granted by the Deity or saint, who makes himself available on the cosmic level.
4. Perceptual – in the form of a previous incarnation now no longer in the physical body, e.g., Mahavatar Babaji.
5. Perceptual – in the image of a Deity (Ishtadevata). Perception can happen in the waking, dream, or meditative state.
6. An instantaneous and direct intuitive grasp of the formless consciousness – This is rare; it usually happens through the intervention of the Guru or, very rarely, spontaneously. This is called Anupaya.
Science of Energy Darshan
The breathing space of an Avatar is like an extension of His physical body. It is a living, healing energy field. A receptive devotee can momentarily experience the expanded space of the Avatar or a Deity energized by Him. This allows the transmission of Cosmic energy into the devotee’s space. Infusion of this energy results in quantum entanglement. It causes the neurons of the devotee to mirror the space of perpetual completion radiating from the Avatar or energized Deity at a biological level.
Mirror neurons are particular neurons that can observe and mimic the actions of other neurons through imitation. But unlike classical imitation, mirror neurons can activate and process all the observed movements or information without the physical act of imitation. The entire body can, silently and without movement, recreate what is happening elsewhere through direct observation. This is what happens during Darshan as well as Deeksha.
THE SPH BHAGAVAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM says:
“When you come into my breathing space, suddenly, your mind gets entangled with my no-mind. Entanglement is only at the thought level. It is called entrainment if your muscle memory gets entangled with your muscle memory. And if your bio-memory gets entangled with my bio-memory, it becomes Enlightenment. Entanglement becomes entrainment, and entrainment becomes Enlightenment.”
Entanglement, Entrainment, Enlightenment
The science of quantum entanglement, entrainment, and Enlightenment can be elucidated further.
Entanglement
In physics, quantum entanglement usually occurs between energetic subatomic particles.
A thought is nothing but a small packet of energy released by the cells in the form of subatomic particles. Scientifically, the thought-free space of an Avatar would be filled with virtual particles, unlike that of a thoughtful human mind.
The absence of thoughts in the Avatar would not allow entanglement to be transferred from the thought energy of the devotee into the Avatar’s mind. On the other hand, due to the high energy of the Avatar, the virtual particles having no thought patterns would rush to fill the space of the devotee, entangling with the devotee’s thought particles and creating entangled virtual particles in the devotee, leading to a temporary no-mind state. During quantum entanglement, the entangled particles acquire oneness in action, irrespective of their separation in space. This is what Albert Einstein termed ‘spooky action at a distance,’ and it offers an explanation for the phenomenon of long-distance healing by the Avatar.
Entrainment
Darshan also has lasting effects because the quantum correlation between the two systems (i.e., the Avatar and the disciple) survives their separation in time and space. So, the Avatar’s space continues to influence the disciple’s space for an extended period after Darshan. This would explain the delayed effects of Darshan recorded in certain devotees, who continue to experience an accelerated speed of healing of diseases for weeks or sometimes months following a single darshan.
Enlightenment
At the tiniest biological levels, which are molecular or sub-molecular, energy is stored and transmitted through the life force called biological energy. An Avatar is a pure expression of Cosmic energy. His core physiology differs from an average person’s at the genetic level. Transmission of the Avatar’s bio-energy into the disciple affects the fundamental physiological changes necessary to experience the state of Enlightenment.
How to receive Darshan
The critical thing in Darshan is not ‘what to do’ but ‘how to be.’ As mentioned earlier, Darshan cannot be given. Still, it may be ‘drawn’ from the Source by the receiver, tuning into this superconscious vibration.
Darshan is a robust cleansing process that brings the unconscious mind to the receiver’s conscious scrutiny. The intense vibration of Darshan causes the hidden layers of the unconscious to erupt, releasing both physical and psychic blocks in the receiver’s system and cutting through the layers of unconscious negative patterns built up over lifetimes. His physiology can change in the presence of Cosmic Consciousness, and his bio-memory effortlessly ‘learns’ the expression of EnlightenmentEnlightenment. Darshan can be the moment of permanent and irreversible transformation for the ready receiver.
Darshan in THE SPH BHAGAVAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM’s words:
THE SPH always says, ‘Darshan is the enlightenment technique for lazy people!’
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says beautifully, ‘If you want to scare away some birds sitting on a tree, you don’t have to do it one by one. Just clap loudly once, and all the birds on the tree will fly away.’
In the same way, in the Master’s presence, you don’t have to work on your samskaras (engraved memories) one by one. You don’t have to work so hard! The Master’s powerful Darshan is the one’ clap’ that can destroy all your samskaras once and for all!
Preparation for Darshan
The Darshanopanishad, which is part of the Sama Veda, clearly spells out the preparation a devotee can make to get the maximum out of Darshan:
Tapas – Spiritual discipline
Santosha – Completion
Astikya – Conviction in the existence of the Divine
Dana – Benevolence towards all
Ishvara Pujana – Gratitude to the Divine
Siddhanta Shravana- Listening to the Truth
Hri – Humility
Mati – Faith built on conviction
Japa – Constant remembrance of the Divine
This space of approaching Darshan is akin to an ‘internal Tirtha’ (pilgrimage), far superior to the ‘external Tirtha.’ Darshan serves as a conduit for the constant inflow of Cosmic energy, allowing one to maintain continuous awareness in all the states of being – wakefulness, dream state, deep sleep, and beyond. Once Darshan has become a complete initiation within the receiver, it is possible to receive Darshan in any of these states.
Darshan in Large Congregations
Large congregations influenced by the presence of Avatars or saints or massive events like the Kumbh Mela (the most significant spiritual congregation on the planet) open up the space of the seeker or devotee due to the highly charged atmosphere and the mirror neuron effect happening on millions of people at the same time.
THE SPH BHAGAVAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM describes this phenomenon:
The Master is like a radiating light. Your body and mind are like a mirror. When you sit unclutched in the Master’s presence, all your bodies and minds become mirrors reflecting the Master’s Consciousness. They get focused like laser beams, aligned and polarized towards the Master’s Consciousness. So, his bio-energy is transmitted to you. Your body becomes light and flows in the ether.
Keep five such mirrors in front of a single light. The illumination will be five-fold because five mirrors reflect the light, and the whole area is lit intensely. Now, if 10,000 mirrors are in front of the same light, can you imagine what will happen?
In the same way, when 10,000 people sit in the Master’s presence in an unclutched space, the same Superconsciousness is reflected 10,000-fold, and an intense Superconscious energy field is created. If 10,000 bodies and minds focus themselves on the Master’s Consciousness, it becomes equivalent to 10,000 Enlightened beings sitting in Samadhi. This is what I call creating Shambhala on planet Earth!
Deeksha changes Gene Expression.
The human genome has been sequenced, and it is now established that all humans have approximately 25,000 – 30,000 genes.
A gene is the fundamental blueprint of a living organism, which can encode several proteins and signaling pathways for life to exist and continue. At any given time, only 10,000 genes are expressed (operational) in everyday life.
It has been shown that during the Inner Awakening initiations, the gene expression changes to such an extent that the genes that cause an increase in energy, stem cell count, and health are up-regulated. In contrast, those that are harmful, such as genes causing cancer and autoimmune disorders, are down-regulated in all participants. This is the visible effect of the bio-energy of the Avatar’s Deeksha, transforming the bio-memory of the disciple.
THE SPH BHAGAVAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM says:
“Deeksha is like an intense downloading into you. When your DNA is activated, the macrocosmic bio-energy’s knowledge, consciousness, and information can be effortlessly transmitted to you without conventional methods. With every new strand awakened, you start experiencing many things, such as freedom from negative engrams, intellectual and spiritual clarity, physical health, anti-aging, and extraordinary powers.”
Significance of Deeksha from a Living Master
Deeksha is revered in the Vedic tradition as the ultimate gift a Master can confer upon his disciple.
In the ancient Hindu text, Rudrayamala Tantra, Lord Shiva says:
“The one not initiated does not attain liberation nor a better future. So, by all efforts, one should get commenced by Guru. “
Only from a fire can another fire be lit; Only from a living Master can the transmission of the lamp happen! A Master who exists on the subtle plane may be able to offer the disciple spiritual guidance. Still, for the experience to settle in him as a physical reality, it must be transmitted from a body vibrating at a higher frequency. Only the already reprogrammed DNA of the living Master can transmit that frequency and reprogram his DNA. Only a living bio-memory can share its experience directly with the disciples through a look, a word, or a touch of initiation.
When the disciple melts down and sits with a deep trust, the connection between him and the Master happens – this is Deeksha. When a sincere seeker or disciple sits in a deep, relaxed mood, the Guru comes alive with the disciple, and the disciple also comes alive with the Guru. Both experience fulfillment and the transmission of the lamp happens automatically. This is Deeksha.
