Compiled By
SRI SWAMI ARPANANANDA
A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION
First Edition: 1990
(2,000 copies)
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 1999
Website: http://www.divinelifesociety.org/
This WWW reprint is for free distribution
© The Divine Life Trust Society
Published By
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. Shivanandanagar—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal,
Himalayas, India.
CONTENTS
\
Anand Kutir
Rishikesh (Himalayas)
30th Jan., 1954.
Sri Chamanlal* Sharma,
CHANDAUSI.
Beloved Immortal Atman,
OM Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!
Thank you for the Sweets kindly sent by your goodself through Sri N.
Sweetness is born of Sattwa. Sweetness is the sweet aroma that is wafted
from the blossoming of the rare sweet flower of perfected soul—Siddha
Purusha, adept through long and intense Tapas, discipline, Yoga-Practice
and communion through mind-melting in silence.
Temple Prasad is enclosed. Kindly apply it on your forehead. May you
all be endowed with the noble quality of sweetness which will enable
you all to root yourself in Brahman, the embodiment of Rasa, Divine
Bliss.
With regards, Prem & OM,
Thy own Self
Sivananda
* Poorvaashram Name of Swami Arpanananda
ANANDA KUTIR P.O.
Rishikesh (Himalayas)
Dated 19th July 1954
Sri Chamanlalji,
Principal,
N.A.H.S. School
Chandausi.
Revered Atmaswaroop,
Om Namo Narayanaya, Namaskars.
Very happy to have received your very kind letter which Shri Harisharananandaji
handed over to me. The Lord’s grace is ever upon his sincere devotees.
It is indeed He who does all to help his Bhaktas in various mysterious
ways. Remain always at his feet. Have the mind firmly fixed on his Charana
Kamal. Turn away completely from the earthly objects. Give up all desires
and live an unattached life. Feel His presence constantly. He is closer
than the closest. He is our Sole Support in Life.
May His blessings be ever upon you. I am happy to inform you that Poojya
Gurudev Maharaj is now definitely better. He is progressing rapidly
towards complete recovery and health. My namaskars to all.
With regards, prem and Om.
At Sri Gurudev’s feet.
Swami Chidananda
O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!
Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.
Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
Thou art Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.
Thou art the Indweller of all beings.
Grant us an understanding heart,
Equal Vision, balanced mind,
Faith, devotion and wisdom.
Grant us inner spiritual strength
To resist temptations and to control the mind.
Free us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy.
Fill our hearts with divine virtues.
Let us behold Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms.
Let us ever remember Thee.
Let us ever sing Thy glories.
Let Thy Name be ever on our lips.
Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever.
—Swami Sivananda
Homage unto the eternal, infinite divine Reality!
Salutations to the Sadguru who is the link between you and this great
imponderable Universal Being. Prayer is the human being’s attempt
to communicate with the Divine. It is man’s attempt to reach out
towards God in faith, trust and in devotion. It is individual soul’s
call towards the Supreme Universal Soul which is the source, support
and origin of the individual. Prayer is spiritual food for the spiritual
principle within man. It is a purifying process. It is a source of gaining
strength, deriving inspiration, solace and inner sustenance. It elevates
and inspires.
Sadgurudev Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj was a firm believer and a staunch
votary of prayer. He declared the need of regular daily prayer. He himself
practised prayer and made others also to pray regularly. The whole world
knows how Lord Jesus taught his followers how they should pray. Prophet
Mohmmed was an advocate of fasting and prayer. Numerous mystics have
composed sublime prayers spontaneously in moments of inspiration. Thus
prayer is common to most religions. Here, in this Universal Prayer,
Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji has given a nonsectarian prayer that could
be used by people all over the world belonging to any faith or religion.
It is worded in a non-controversial language using simple words but
yet having great beauty and depth of meaning.
May you all get by heart this prayer and repeat it everyday and thus
become blessed.
—SWAMI CHIDANANDA
OM
Blessed child of the Divine! You are here for the attainment of the
sublime destiny. This is no less than the attainment of Divine Perfection.
You have before you a glorious future. It is moving towards the attainment
of Supreme and Radiant Spiritual Beauty in life. This perfection—this
beauty is your birth right. Your human life verily derives this from
an Eternal, All-Perfect, Infinite Divine Life of pure Spiritual Being.
Thou art heir to spiritual splendour and divine perfection. Thou art
heir to Infinite Beauty, Eternal Bliss, and Indescribable Peace. You
are not this body, flesh being perishable. You are neither mind nor
intellect, since these are finite and changeable. You are Unchangeable,
Infinite and Immortal Atman.
The rare gift of invaluable human life has been bestowed upon you,
only after passing through eighty four lacs (1 lac=100,000) of births
minus one. As such it is not at all to be wasted in silently suffering
from physical ailments and mental conflicts or in being victim to egoism,
and selfishness, fears and anxieties, desires and cravings, and other
such painful conditions.
The root-cause of all these sufferings is ignorance whereas you are
all Knowledge and Bliss Absolute. So wake up from this sleep of ignorance.
Break through this dream. Claim your birthright. Recognise your true
self here and now only. Enter into the grand experience of Divine Joy,
Peace and Wisdom, which is your essential nature. Lead a perpetual spiritual
life.
What is life? To evolve and to manifest the spiritual principles within
you, and to seek and obtain vision and the experience of the Divinity
concealed behind visible names and forms—this is life. To behold
the external world as God, and to worship this revealed divinity through
ceaseless act of selfless loving service—This is life. All this
here is sacred. The Divine Presence sanctifies all places and all objects.
Where-so-ever you are, you stand before the presence of the Most High.
What ever thou doest, thou doest unto the Lord of the Universe, the
hidden God, who pervades His own creation. Therefore spiritualise your
life.
Spiritualise your life. This is the portal to Perfection. This is the
pathway to glory. This is the secret of supreme attainment. Let every
little thought and sentiment, every single word and deed fill everything
with an attitude of intense reverence, devotion, and worshipfulness.
Let all your life be pervaded by a spiritual Bhava. Thus, raise up your
life and actions into a new direction. Even while in the world, tune
yourself on to a spiritual plane. Have a new vision and a new approach.
Live in the awareness of the immanence of the Divine. Behold light of
God shining everywhere. God looks at you through all eyes. To live here
is to move with God. For God is here and now. All life is spiritual.
Therefore feel this Truth. Affirm it. Assert it. And strive to live
in This Truth. Consciously endeavour to spiritualise your life. This
is the key to blessedness.
Beloved Seekers! God is love and know all life is sacred. To live is
to worship the ever-present God. Lead this life in a spiritual way from
this moment. Fill your life with this spiritual vision. Live to serve
others. Live and act for the welfare of all, and for the happiness of
all. Life is transitory. Time is fleeting. Therefore do not tarry or
delay. Waste not time. Be up and doing. Evolve an ideal life. Move towards
Perfection.
If this movement towards this spiritual attainment ceases to have a
part in life, then that life is no life at all. It is, then, only existence,
like that of a stone. It is only when it is directed towards this attainment
of higher consciousness that man can be called man, and life can be
called life. The question, therefore, is not what place Sadhana should
have in life, but how far should we allow the other activities of life
to interfere in this main flow of life. Make life as Sadhana itself.
Sadhana means right living—living a God-oriented life, living
a life, where you start manifesting and expressing—that, which
you really are. You are ever pure and spotless. Express that ever-pure
nature in your thoughts, words, in the pattern of your desires and inner
motives in your day-to-day living. Practise that, live that, radiate
that—that is real Sadhana.
Sadhana is the purpose for which we have come to this plane of Sadhan-bhumi,
and it is this earth-plane alone, upon which Sadhana for self-realisation
can be done. On this earth-plane he can so live that he can pass on
to an abode of eternal existence, from which there is no return to this
plane of pains, sufferings, birth and death.
Begin your Sadhana from the mental plane, and psychology is the science
that has hold upon it. Vedanta is a complete Divine psychology. We have
forgotten our real nature. What is the remedy for this? To remember
it and to reassert it. This is one point of Sadhana—autosuggestion
is the main stay, the pillar of Vedanta. It says, “Remember your
lost heritage, your real nature, and re-assert again, again and again”.
For this method your hands are not required, your feet are not required;
your whole body you can let throughout the day; be engaged in any activity
which the present economic structure of India has forced on you. At
the same time you can unbrokenly carry on the divine current of Atmic
assertion going on. This autosuggestion will become more a latent aptitude
then a Bhava. When it is established into a permanent Bhava then that
Bhava will translate itself into practice. As you think so you become.
The second mental action lies in feeling all along that the body is
a moving temple of God, your office or business house a big temple of
Vrindaban and every activity such as walking, eating, breathing, seeing,
hearing, reading etc. are offerings unto the Lord. You can first have
Satvic imagination, Kalpana, and secondly you can cultivate Satvic Bhava.
Bhavana and Kalpana are the two things which you have to cultivate and
once Kalpana through constant repetition, becomes a settled Bhavana,
then you will find that your whole Sadhana will move along without a
hitch.
Work without the idea of agency, without any motive and as offering
to the Lord. That is every action of yours in what-ever sphere of life
you may be, you have to transform with this touchstone. Let Karma become
Bhajan. This mental Bhavana at once transforms even the most prosaic
act into a direct worship of God. Thus every thing will become a worship
of the Lord and every action will be transformed into divine worship
through your putting the emphasis on Bhavana. Thus your whole life will
become a continuous worship of the Lord.
So supreme Sadhana is a life, lived divinely, where every thought,
word, and act is permeated with the divine quality. Even when you are
working, do not leave this inner consciousness and awareness. Assert
it every moment in all things. Be victorious over circumstances. Be
the subduer of your desires, and a master of your destiny for you are
verily then maker of your destiny. Only follow the instruction of climbing
up step by step. This is the secret of Sadhana which supplies the missing
link—called Yoga between the finite man and the Infinite Reality.
The ever-standing problem before man is how to overcome the imperfections
of the lower nature, and to gain complete mastery over the mind and
senses. Man wants to free himself for ever from bondage, brought about
by its finite existence, and to attain final victory over all fear,
even of death itself. To this end Yoga comes as the practical solution
by providing the last link, between man and the Infinite.
The merging of the limited localised consciousness of a Jiva into the
unlimited Supreme Self is called Yoga. As the rainwater flows through
the river and merges into the sea, whence it originated, so the Jiva
that has sprung from the Supreme Self, rests, only when it reaches its
source.
All the techniques of Yoga require perfect ethical and moral purity.
This purity is the foundation of Yogic life. Half the process of Yoga
is in getting this perfectly established in ideal moral conduct. Self-restraint,
the formation of a pure and strong character, Sad-achar or good conduct,
are the prime essentials for further progress in Yoga or Spiritual Life.
Without these your Sadhana will be as precarious as a voyage in a ship
with a rotten and leaky bottom. But when once this basis has been established
then the application of the techniques of Yoga is like the striking
off a dry match upon the matchbox, and immediately there is a flame.
But in all phases of Yogic life the supreme factor is the grace of
God; call it what you may. It is the grace of God—the Supreme Essence
and Source of all existence in which alone man realises his true nature
and his deathless divinity. As a result of this Yoga—Reunion—the
knots of the heart are rent asunder, and we have not only the cessation
of all sorrows, but acquisition of unlimited indescribable bliss. Then
we are in a state of ecstasy, which defies all expressions. In this
state of absolute plentitude there are no cravings at all. The seers
who have plunged deep into this ocean of Supreme Peace, cry out from
the housetops, “O, ye mortals! Wake up. Listen to our message.
You too can reach this eternal state of Imperishable Bliss.”
One has to know where all Yoga is to be practised. This Dharma-Kshetra,
where Divine Life has to be lived is the Mind itself. Yoga has to be
practised here in the heart. Everything is to proceed from the heart
and the mind. This most important locality for all Yoga is within the
man, and therefore, one must understand how to use this instrument of
Mind, for its rough handling will undo everything. So this Mind, is
to be understood by all aspirants, be they Raj-Yogins, Jnana-Yogins,
Karma-Yogins or Bhaktas.
Mind is just a perpetual machinery to keep a record of Sanskaras—impressions—of
previous births, which, when repeated, become Vasanas, that always keep
it in a state of agitation, resulting in constant ripples, rising and
sinking, and cause a series of Kalpanas, giving birth to desires, which
work havoc with the support of ego within; hence the urgency of asserting
our mastery over our Vrittis. This ‘Chitt-Vritti-Nirodh’ is
termed as Yoga.
The first thing we have to understand about the nature of the mind
is that Mind is a creature of habits. Mind is a thing which always tends
to follow whatever shape is given to it by habitual thought. Any thought,
that is held with greater and greater repetition, tends to become the
part of the natural state of the mind, and this law can never be forgotten
by the earnest seeker, who is attempting to gain perfect control over
the mind.
Even during your active outward life, when you are living, moving and
doing your ordinary work, you must always try to fill the mind with
the thoughts of the same object, upon which you are trying to meditate.
The current of meditation should never be absent from your mind. This
inner current of Atma-Chintan should be kept up even when out-going
senses are moving amidst the external objects, and perceiving them.
This method of Atma-Chintan is very effective because it invokes the
same law of the habit of the mind that it tends to be of that nature
which it holds constantly in working hours. Where ever the senses move
they move towards the Lord. So for him there is no distraction. For
it is man beholds the Lord and Lord alone, and his external life is
also covered by the chain of Chintan.
Simultaneously have full faith in Him with the strong conviction that
He is looking after every thing. Also you must have adamantine perseverance.
And day by day as you go on making effort, all obstacles are overcome,
and you go above the tyranny of the physical nature, and later on above
that of the mental nature. Then the mind becomes serene, and its emotion
of hatred, intolerance, and competitiveness will perfectly be eliminated.
In this way the more we understand this machinery of mind, the better
will we be able to deal with it and its subtle trick, and under-currents
to make use of the mind, as an effective instrument of Sadhana, instead
of its remaining as an obstacle within.
To the man, endowed with the faculty of introspection, suits Raja Yoga,
which is called Astang Yoga also because of its eight limbs, one of
which being meditation—Dhyan—this is named as Dhyan Yoga as
well. Since Patanjali expounded this, it is also called Patanjala Yoga.
Raja Yoga, with its approach from the physical to the subtler, is the
most scientific and logical of all the Yogas, and hence the term ‘Yoga’
generally means Raja Yoga.
The eight distinct stages of Raja Yoga are—Yama, Niyama, Asana,
Pranayama, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyan and Samadhi. Yama is the cultivation
of certain virtues:—harmlessness, truthfulness, celibacy, non-stealing,
and non-covetousness of that which is conducive to luxury. Niyam is
the following of certain daily observances. The Asana in Raja Yoga means
any one steady pose, which is required for the practice of steady contemplation.
Pranayam is the disciplinning, control and regulation of gross physical
breath, which is connected with the inner subtle nerve-currents. Pratyahar
is the withdrawal of our senses and mind from the external objects of
the universe. Dharna is the fixing of the mind on the object of meditation.
Dhyana is mastery over Dharna, and in the depths of meditation you transcend
the lower physical consciousness, and you experience the highest super
consciousness. This is called Samadhi.
Patanjali’s study of Man classifies him into a rational being
with a gross lower self pulling him downwards, and his essential spiritual
nature, and in the middle we have the Buddhiyukta Manushya, one who
is capable of thinking, being endowed with Mind. Apart from the result
of the study of man in his essential nature, Patanjali also made a study
of man as he is actually composed, and he arrived at the conclusion.
He made the study of the universal man not a Hindu or a Muslim, but
what is man constituted, as he is all over, when he is created upon
earth, and he will continue to be, till the last day of his existence.
He found out that, first and foremost he is of the nature of pure existence
essentially. He is a spirit. He is a spiritual entity and this is evident
to everyone who thinks. The ultimate undying principle in man is his
being. He is. I exist. I am pure existence, pure, being, Keval Sat,
and this essential portion of man is the fundamental part of man’s
personality. So Patanjali said that within the gross physical sheath
of man there is the thinking man. There is the mental aspect of the
being—the mental sheath. Between the thinking man and the acting
man there is the power to act. There is a peculiar invisible internal
electricity which makes a man act. This power, which animates the human
being, without which all the senses will be absolutely incapable of
any activity is Prana-shakti and when this flies away from the body
death occurs. This is the third aspect of man and behind it as the mover
of all is the pure Self, I am! So body, vital Pranic sheath, and the
mental sheath—these three aspects of the being, are temporary,
passing, superficial and nonessential aspects of the being, whereas
the essential aspect is being itself.
This study, made by Patanjali, discloses a graded method. It is very
well thought out, very scientifically invented method. He first tackled
the body, which is the external most. Therefore he said, first of all
put a check on the external nature. At least control actions. He said,
take certain vows, conform your conduct to certain universal laws—constituting
the Yama i.e. non-injury, truth, celibacy, non-stealing, and non-covetousness,
and then the second. That is the positive process of direct attack on
mind in the second stage of Raja Yoga under Niyam i.e. cleanliness,
austerity, study of scriptures and self-surrender to the Lord, where
by the inner parts of the body are also made to undergo certain disciplines
to improve inner nature of man. So after practising the rest of the
eight stages the eternal supreme fruit of Raja Yoga is obtained. They
say it is ecstasy—an indescribable state of super-consciousness.
If the intellect is predominant in a seeker, the path of knowledge
or Jnana Yoga is resorted to by him. According to the theory of Vedanta,
the individual soul, called the Jiva, gets circumscribed in an individual
consciousness, the prime cause where of is Ajnana or Mul Avidya or root
ignorance. And the very first form, this root-ignorance takes, is the
feeling of duality in the supreme consciousness, which is characterised
by absolute unity. There comes the feeling, due to ignorance, that I
am separate and the world is separate. This duality comes and this starts
due to what is known as Adhyas—identification, and it is understood
that it is wrong Adhyas, wrong identification. The consciousness instead
of identifying itself with the cosmic and infinite identifies itself
with the limited body. This is the first manifestation of Avidya. I
am this body, I am this mind, I am this feeling, I am this thought—a
series of identifications, rooted in the first primal error, that I
am a separate thing. The first dual notion sets in its train a whole
set of wrong Adhyas, and then due to this you get what you know as Adhyaropa
Apvada—the error of super impositions. You superimpose upon pure
consciousness various forms and various characteristics which are not
there, as its essential nature, and therefore the whole phenomena of
Jagat springs up. First there is Ajnana. Then rises duality. Then wrong
identification with the body, mind etc. And all this ignorance is attributed
to a veil, which hides the Reality. This veil is called Maya, in relation
to the cosmic Being, Ishwara, and it is called Avarna in relation to
the Jiva or individual soul when this veil is removed, it reveals the
identity of Jiva with the Supreme Soul. To remove this veil, therefore,
is the purpose of Jnana Yoga.
To achieve this aim, what is most essential is the acquiring of the
necessary qualifications the Sadhan Chatushtaya—the four fold means—1.
Discrimination, 2. Dispassion, 3. the six fold virtues such as—i.
control of mind, ii. control of senses, iii. Endurance, iv. abstaining
from sense-enjoyments, v. faith in scriptures and words of Guru, vi.
and one-pointedness, and lastly 4. A keen intense longing for liberation.
Equipped with these qualifications, one has to approach a Guru, and
hear from his lips the nature of the Reality. This hearing is called
Shravana. Then one should reflect over what one has heard. This reflection
is termed as Manan. Therefore one should ceaselessly contemplate on
that and act accordingly there on. This is named as Nididhyasana.
Thus, while living in this human body, a Jnani is simultaneously experiencing
the bliss of cosmic consciousness—the Bliss of Brahmic experience.
A Jnani moves about on this earth, elevating everyone through his mere
glance, through his mere gesture, through his mere word. His life is
a sweet flower, wafting the fragrance of Viswa-Prem and self-less service.
Such a life, also will transfer all those, who come in contact with
him.
Jagatsrishti—the entire creation—is an outcome of a great
cosmic Sacrifice, in which the Supreme Being, Who is of the nature of
Advitiya, who is ever immersed in Self-Bliss, limits Himself and gives
Himself out in manifestation. Sacrificing for the time being His infinitude,
He becomes finite. Sacrificing His formlessness He embodies Himself.
And thus the universe comes into being. In a more intimate sense, we
can see this element of sacrifice, even in the scheme of things. For
example the waters of the earth sacrifice themselves in order that the
clouds may become rain bearing. The clouds in their turn sacrifice themselves
of all they have in order that they may shower the earth with the life-giving
rain. The earth, in its turn, gives itself up as the vital energy so
that we have the plants and herbs, and all the vegetation upon which
life exists. Animals that partake of it, sacrifice their energy for
the service of Man—the image of God. Man, partaking of the bounties
of life, has to complete this circle, and take it up to the spiritual
level. He, in his turn should live his life in a constant giving himself
up in all aspects of his being in an Akhand Yajna. Then alone he can
justify his position as the crowning glory of God’s creations.
So Karma Yoga is common to all, whether you are a Jnana Yogi, Dhyan
Yogi or Bhakti Yogi. Karma Yoga is necessary—the secret of working
in this world, without getting attached. Anasakti is the secret of Karma
Yoga. It is unattached Karma that releases you from all bondages. Karma
Yoga is selfless activity without expectation of the fruits of the action,
and without the idea of doer-ship, and without attachment. This is a
fairly clear definition of Karma Yoga that would serve to give the lay
man an idea of what it means. Real Karma Yoga is when people serve others,
having no connection with them, whom they have never seen in their lives,
nor will, perhaps, ever see in future, from whom they stand to gain
nothing. So work with them is made into worship. It should be full of
selflessness and egolessness. Motive should be pure, since it is very
important in Karma Yoga. In this type of Karma Yoga, with pure motive,
progress will be something different from what it, otherwise, will be.
To emphasise the great truth we have it from the divine lips of Bhagwan
Sri Krishna Himself, “O, Arjuna! in this world itself it is impossible
for a man to be without sacrifice, what then of the other world?”
You are only a tool in the grand design of this world, and thus your
duty ends with the doing of an assignment, leaving the fruit to Him.
You have no right, even to aspire for it, as per Bhagvadgita, which
points out that work done in this spirit results in a balanced attitude
of consciousness, and a special dexterity in executing function. Karma
Yoga, therefore, is of paramount importance because of its purifying
our Chitta, where on depends the fulfilment of our aspiration of God
realisation.
If emotion is the predominating faculty, the approach to the Reality
is made through Bhakti Yoga—the Path of Devotion, where you try
to attain Divine experience or God-experience by relating yourself to
the Divine through some particular emotional link. This emotional connection
is developed through various exercises, and is brought to the highest
pitch where love fills your entire consciousness, pushing out even the
awareness of ‘I’. You forget even your own self and become
the very personification of love. You turn into love-Divine and thus,
through a total forgetfullness of the senses, you rise into a state
of God experience through this all absorbing love, which saturates your
consciousness. This final stage of love-relationship with the Divine,
is termed as Madhurya-Bhava, and is helped by their suggesting certain
patterns of relationship.
Whatever is the dominant aspect of love in your heart, direct the self-same
thing towards God. If you are very fond of your child, the very love,
you have towards it, be directed towards Him, not thinking that He is
a great Being-Big Lord—All powerful and full of glory, but think
like Yashoda of Him as your simple innocent Child.
If you are one who loves his master greatly, think of him as your God,
and if you are a great lover of your friend, think of him as God. So
no new or strange type of love has to be created. In whatever way you
relate yourself to human relations, relate yourself to Him in the same
way. He will certainly reciprocate.
Bhakti Yoga has received a great importance in Kaliyuga, being most
suitable to this age. All Bhaktas get their inspiration from Srimad
Bhagvat Maha Purana from the life of Krishna, contained in the tenth
book. According to this holy scripture, Bhakti is of two kinds, viz.
the lower kind of Apara Bhakti and the higher kind of Para Bhakti. As
per former we have nine modes of worship:
1. Shravan (hearing of Lord’s Lila’s).
2. Smaran (remembering Him always).
3. Kirtan (singing His praise).
4. Vandan (prostrations, namaskars).
5. Archana (offering)
6. Padsevana (constant attendance at His Holy Feet).
7. Sakhya (friendship).
8. Dasya (service).
9. Atma Nivedan (self-surrender).
All these types eventually culminate in Para Bhakti, of which Gopi-Krishna-love
is the sole example. It is this form of love that is carried to the
acme of perfection. This love represents the love of the human Soul
to the Divine. This stage comes in the Gopi after much striving penance,
prayer and worship. In their love there was no body-idea, no body-consciousness.
It is a transcendental drama in response of the human to the call of
the Divine.
It is selfishness that is at the root of all miseries upon this earth,
of all fights and quarrels, and all wars and hostilities Every sorrow
and every misery, that is now rampant in human society, has its root
in the Asuric trait of gross selfishness, where man wants everything
for himself alone, and does not bother about what happens to another
in this process of fulfilling this craving for getting things for himself.
Sanyas cuts at the very root of this inhuman trait, for it is based
on selflessness and renunciation of selfishness. The real spirit of
Sanyas may be stated in this simple term—that is Complete Desirelessness.
The supreme goal of life—Self-realisation—the great aspiration
of Bharatvarsha can be obtained only through absolute desirelessness.
Tyaga is the very life-breath of Sanyasa. This Tyaga is not mere passive
shrinking from all external things. It is, on the other hand, something
more positive, more heroic, and dynamic. Sanyasa has always been the
crowning one of the four orders of social life, as given by our Lawgivers.
The three lower orders are, in fact, merely pure preparatory stages
for qualifying the individual for Sanyasa, which embodies soul’s
upsurge from finitude to infinitude casting aside all traces of attachment.
Here in the external life is completely eliminated and the Sanyasi
plunges inwardly into constant meditation (Sahaj Samadhi). The great
purpose of human being’s life is Paropkar. Based upon this we find
out that social order was built up through this series of four Ashrams,
each one progressively developing in the individual a higher and higher
intensity of selflessness, of giving himself up, culminating in the
glorious Ashram of Sanyasa.
Sanyasa means dying to live. It is the complete death to the gross
selfish life as man, as ordinary being accustomed to living upon the
physical plane. It is a new birth into a life, where the self ceases
to be, and the universe stands before him in the glorified personality
of his new birth, and it takes the form of wondrous manifestation of
cosmic love or Viswaprem. That he does by declaring that the whole universe
is in him and that no creative need fear him. He gives what is called
the Abhaya for all the creatures of this earth, for he is nothing but
love, nothing but Tyaga, and compassion will come out of him as per
promise in Sanyasa initiation ceremony. OM.
