By
SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION
Thirteenth Edition: 1988
(5000 Copies)
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 1998
Website: http://www.divinelifesociety.org/
This WWW reprint is for free distribution
© The Divine Life Trust Society
ISBN 81-7052-024-x
Published By
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. Shivanandanagar—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal,
Himalayas, India.
CONTENTS
Even among the inspiring books of Sri Gurudev, this is a unique book.
It was written with the special intention of having the entire matter
recorded on the gramophone disc. For this purpose Gurudev had given
in this book the very essence of his own teachings.
Hence, this book was chosen for being sent to every new member of the
Divine Life Society on enrolment. It is, as it were, the 'Beginner's
Guide to Divine Life'.
Members of the Divine Life Society and spiritual aspirants have added
this precious volume to the scriptures which they study daily as Svadhyaya
and have derived incalculable benefit by the assimilation of these teachings
into their daily life.
This text containing, a valuable treasure of wisdom is placed in the
hands of aspirants all over the world in the fervent hope that it will
guide them to the great goal of human life, viz., God-realisation.
-THE
DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
Thou art, O Lord! The creator of this universe. Thou art the protector
of this world. Thou art in the grass and the rose. Thou art in the sun
and the stars. Salutations unto Thee! O bestower of joy and bliss!
O Sweet Lord! Let me be free from the clutches of death. Let me be
able to look upon all beings with equal vision. Let me be free from
impurity and sin. Give me strength to control the mind. Give me strength
to serve Thee and the humanity untiringly. Make me Thy fit instrument
for Thy work. Make me pure and strong.
I bow to Thee, O Indweller of many hearts! O Secret of secrets! Remove
my weaknesses, defects and evil thoughts. Make me pure so that I may
be able to receive Thy grace and blessings. O Lord! Thou art the thread-soul
that connects all beings. Thou pervadest all, permeatest and interpenetratest
all things of this universe.
Thou art light divine. Thou art the dispeller of ignorance. Thou art
All-merciful Lord. Give me a life without disease. Let me remember Thee
always. Let me develop all sublime virtues.
Thou art Self-luminous. Thou art my father, mother, brother, friend,
relative and guide. Let me realise the Truth. Let me be free from greed,
lust, egoism, jealousy and hatred. Prepare me as Thy sweet messenger
on this earth so that I may radiate joy, peace and bliss to the whole
world. Let me utilise this body, mind and senses in Thy service and
the service of Thy creatures. Breathe into me Thy breath of Immortality.
Let me recognise the universal brotherhood of man. Let me love all as
my own self. Salutations unto Thee, O Lord of compassion.
Salutations to the Divine Mother who exists in all beings in the form
of intelligence, mercy and beauty. Salutations, O Sweet Mother the consort
of Lord Siva! O Mother Parvati! Thou art Lakshmi. Thou art Sarasvati.
Thou art Kali, Durga and Kundalini. Thou art the embodiment of all power.
Thou art Para Sakti. Thou art in the form of all objects. Thou art the
sole refuge of all. Thou hast enchanted the world. The whole universe
is the play of Thy three Gunas. How can I praise Thee? Thy glory is
indescribable. Thy splendour is ineffable. Protect me. Guide me, O Loving
Mother!
O Adorable Mother! Thou hast generated this great illusion by which
all people walk deluded in this world. All sciences have come from Thee.
Without Thy grace no one can get success in spiritual Sadhana and salvation
in the end. Thou art the seed for this world. Thou hast two aspects,
viz., the unmanifested aspect or Avyaktam and the manifested aspect
or the gross universe. The whole world gets dissolved in Avyaktam during
Pralaya. Give me the divine eye. Let me behold Thy real majestic form.
Help me to cross over this illusion, O Kind Mother!
O Compassionate Mother! I bow to Thee. Thou art my saviour. Thou art
my goal. Thou art my sole support. Thou art my guide and the remover
of all afflictions, troubles and miseries. Thou art the embodiment of
auspiciousness. Thou pervadeth the whole universe. The whole universe
is filled with Thee. Thou art the storehouse of all qualities. Do Thou
protect me. I again and again salute Thee; O glorious Mother! Salutations
to Thee. All women are Thy parts. Mind, egoism, intellect, body, Prana
and senses are Thy forms. Thou art Para-Prakriti and Apara-Prakriti.
Thou art electricity, magnetism, force, energy, power and will. All
forms are Thy forms only. Reveal to me the mystery of creation. Bestow
on me the divine knowledge.
O Loving Mother! Thou art the primal energy, Thou hast two aspects,
viz., the terrible and the peaceful. Thou art modesty, gentleness, shyness,
generosity, courage, forbearance and patience. Thou art faith in the
heart of devotees and nobility in noble people, chivalry in warriors
and ferocity in tigers. Give me strength to control the mind and the
Indriyas. Make me worthy to dwell in Thee! Salutation unto Thee!
O Mother Supreme! When shall I have equal vision and a placid state
of mind? When shall I be established in Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya?
When shall I get deep abiding peace and perennial joy? When shall I
enter in deep meditation and Samadhi?
O Radiant Mother! I have not done any spiritual Sadhana or service
of teachers. I have not practised any Vrata, pilgrimage, charity, Japa
and meditation or worship. I have not studied religious scriptures.
I have neither purity nor a burning yearning for liberation. Thou art
my only refuge. Thou art my only support. My silent adoration unto Thee!
I am Thy meek supplicant. Remove the veil of ignorance.
Gracious Mother! Prostrations unto Thee. Where art Thou? Do not forsake
me. I am Thy child. Take me to the other shore of fearlessness and joy.
When shall I behold Thy lotus-feet with my own eyes? Thou art the boundless
ocean of mercy. When the philosopher's stone turns iron into gold by
contact, when the Ganga turns impure water into pure water, can'st Thou
not turn me, O Mother Divine, into a pure Soul? May my tongue repeat
Thy Name always!
The life of man is an indication of what is beyond him and what determines
the course of his thoughts, feelings and actions. The wider life is
invisible, and the visible is a shadow cast by the invisible which is
the real. The shadow gives an idea of the substance, and one can pursue
the path to the true substance by the perception of the shadow. Human
existence, by the fact of its limitations, wants and various forms of
restlessness, discontent and sorrow, points to a higher desired end,
incomprehensible though the nature of this end be.
As life on this earth is characterised by incessant change, and nothing
here seems to have the character of reality, nothing here can satisfy
man completely. The Bhagavad Gita has referred to this world as anityam,
asukham, duhkhalayam, ashashvatam-"Impermanent, unhappy, the
abode of sorrow, transient". The sages of yore declared with immediate
realisation that "Truth is One" and that the goal of human
life is the realisation and the experience of this Truth.
The universe is inconstant, and it is only a field of experience provided
to the individuals so that they may evolve towards the experience of
the Highest Truth. It is the glory of the people of Bharatavarsha (India)
that to them the visible universe is not real and the invisible Eternal
alone is real. They have no faith in what they perceive with the
senses. They have faith only in that which is the ground of all experience,
beyond the senses, beyond even the individual mind.
Earnest seekers used to seek shelter under great sages who purified
the holy region of the Himalayas with their mighty presence, and lived
the austere life of Yogis in order to attain freedom from the trammels
of earth-bound life and rest in the beatitude of the Absolute, Brahman.
This they considered the true life, and thus the way of fulfilling the
law of the Eternal.
The great law-giver Manu, after describing the various tenets of Dharma,
finally asserts: "Of all these Dharmas, the Knowledge of the Self
is the highest; it is verily the foremost of all sciences; for, by it,
one attains immortality." The pursuit of Dharma, Artha and Kama
has its meaning in the attainment of Moksha which is the greatest of
all the Purusharthas (end of human life). Dharma is the ethical
and moral value of life; Artha is its material value; and Kama is its
vital value; but Moksha is the infinite value of existence which covers
all the others and is itself far greater than all these. Others exist
as aids or preparations for Moksha. Without Moksha, they have no value
and convey no meaning. Their value is conditioned by the law of the
Infinite, which is the same as Moksha.
The Vedas and the Upanishads are the exhalations of the Divine Being,
and they give an exhaustive commentary on spiritual life. They are expositions
of the significance and the import of human life and of the method of
the transmutation of the mortal appearance into the Immortal Essence.
The instance of the great Nachiketas and the story of his adventurous
search for Truth narrated in the thrilling Kathopanishad serve
as exemplars to all men capable of thought and reflection.
Nothing of the world of sensibility can be of real value-this is what
Nachiketas taught through his memorable act of renunciation. Not even
the longest life and the immense wealth offered to him could tempt him.
He persevered in his quest for the Highest, and in the end achieved
the Highest. Nothing short of it could satisfy him. Such are the true
heroes. A real hero is not he who stands against bullets or risks his
life in hazardous attempts, fights battles, dives into oceans and climbs
high cliffs, but he who subdues his senses and overcomes his mind, recognises
the supreme unity of life and casts aside dualities and desires. To
achieve this is the duty of man; this is the immortal message of the
sages of the Upanishads.
The tangle of sense-experience in which man is caught is most vexing,
and hard it is to free oneself from it. Man is deluded by the
notion of the reality of the so-called external relations of things
and thus he comes to grief. The Mahabharata says that the contact of
beings in this universe is like the contact of logs of wood in a flowing
river, temporary. Yet the attachment to sense-percepts is so strong
that phantoms are mistaken for facts, the impure is mistaken for the
pure, the painful for the pleasant, and the not-self for the Self.
The message of the ancient sages is that the life one lives in the
sense-world is deceptive, for it hides the Existence underlying all
things and makes one feel that the particular presentation of forms
before the senses alone is real. "Children run after external pleasures
and fall into the net of wide-spread death. The heroes, however, knowing
the Immortal, seek not the Eternal among things unstable here,"
says the Upanishad. The call of the ancient sages to man
is: "O son of the Immortal! Know yourself as the Infinite! become
the All. This is the supreme blessing. This is the supreme bliss."
This is the undying message to man.
The sages have again and again stressed: "If one knows It (i.e.,
the Immortal Being) here, then there is the true end of all aspirations!
If one does not know It here, great is the loss for him." (Kenopanishad).
And sage Yajnavalkya says that all great deeds done in this world, without
the knowledge of the One Imperishable Being, are not worth anything.
Humanitarian services; fasts and charity; one's political, national,
social and individual life; should all be based on the feeling of universal
brotherhood which is the eternal expression of the Reality of universal
Selfhood.
Humanity can hope for peace when this condition, discovered and laid
down by the Rishis, viz., abiding by the law of the Divine is fulfilled.
Peace can be had only to the extent that the system of the Divine is
adhered to in life. And this peace is inversely proportional to the
love of body, individuality and its relations in the world, in which
humanity is generally steeped. An 'awakening' of a higher consciousness
is necessary so that disorder and discontent may be abolished.
Education of humanity in the right direction is the precondition of
world peace. Materialism, atheism, scepticism and agnosticism which
are rampant in these days and which have robbed man of his reverence
for the Supreme Absolute are mainly responsible for the increasing selfishness,
craving, confusion, violence and agitation of mind that are seething
in the world. Man should learn that behind the appearance of materiality,
discreteness, externality, doubt and impermanence, there is the reality
of spirituality, unity and infinity.
Without the recognition of this reality, life loses life and becomes
an emptiness, devoid of meaning and purpose, dead, as it were. To live
in the divine is to die to the narrowness of the sense world; and to
be confined to the latter is to 'destroy oneself' (in the words of the
Isavasyopanishad). The present trend of life has to be overhauled,
and a reorientation in it brought about in the light of morality, ethics
and spirituality. The change that is required is not merely in the outward
form but in the very perspective and the inner constitution of the system
of living.
This can be done when man's ideals are based on the truths of the spirituality
of Oneness, lifted above blind beliefs, differences and materiality.
When this is achieved, man would have fulfilled his great duty here.
For the man scorched in the waterless desert of worldliness, the only
hope is in the cool waters of the Ganga of wisdom, flowing from the
Himalayan heights of the sages of the Upanishads. Drink
from this perennial fount, and refresh yourself.
The true greatness of Indian spiritual inheritance consists in the
secret and glorious methods it has delivered to us for allaying life's
sorrow and human unhappiness and for acquiring for the circumstance
of human existence, the infinite peace and perfection of the Divine
Being. Human grief cannot be alleviated as long as the human individual
is immured in ignorance and strives merely for his individual pleasure
and good. The genius of India has, to its immortal honour, soared above
the conventional ties and the bonds of society, grasped the spiritual
truth, realised it and proclaimed to the world, for the welfare of all
mankind, that "Life is One" and not many. Apart from the petty
disharmonies between one person and another, the nations of the world
seem to be separated from each other and this virulent notion of division
and separation is the mother of war and destruction. Deceived by the
spectacular advancement of scientific knowledge, modern mind in all
countries and continents has not cared to understand the fundamental
meaning of life, and sought its satisfaction in a sensational floating
upon the apparently attractive scum of Existence. Such has been the
spirit in which science has taken its marvellous strides in progress,
that it has nothing in its constitution to drive it towards a grasp
of the deep and significant changes that man undergoes beneath his scalp,
towards understanding the potentialities of man as a mind, as a heart,
as a spirit, as a creative entity, towards directing his aspirations,
towards aiding the blossoming of the noblest forces that lie buried
and latent in his bosom. Redounding to the eternal credit of the genius
of India, there lies the momentous fact that at the very dawn of civilisations,
it has raised the deepest issues of life, questioned the limitations
of human existence, ventured forth for a solution into the realms of
that Infinite Power that is found 'feebly' interpenetrating this world
of physics, physical experience, materialistic philosophy and 'sputniks,'
discovered that guiding, governing and sustaining Permanent Ground upon
which is played the tragi-comic drama of life and the pride of men that
are dressed in brief authority. If there is anything valuable in life
as a whole, it is the knowledge of the solution of the apparent riddle
of existence, the knowledge of the essential nature and the real destiny
of man, the knowledge of man's real relations to the other men, to the
universe, to the Transcendence, and this knowledge is the glorious heritage
of India. The men of India who are also the men of God, men who have
imposed upon themselves the disciplines that lead them to Perfection,
to living the good life, the ideal life, the divine life, the life in
the inner Reality and for the happiness of mankind, for the solidarity
of the world, have discovered the road to Success and Achievement, discerned
the clues to progress and perfection, in a strict adherence to the rhythms
of the universal laws and the eternal verities that guide in accordance
to the genius inherent in them, humanity as a whole and all manifestation
to the final denouement in a Divine Existence.
The attitude of life which the Indians developed was based upon the
nature of the End or the Goal to be attained through the instrumentality
of the phenomenon of life-life which is a step, a stage, and not the
end in itself. This attitude ensouls the righteous law, the Dharma,
and to it, the universe becomes what it intrinsically is, the Dharma-Kshetra,
or the arena for the display and the justification of the prowess of
the right action, the action whose whole spirit moves towards the realisation
of the absolute Good that is the nature of the Infinite Being. The ideal
of Dharma forms the substratum upon which is built the structure of
the whole life of man who wishes to resolve the riddle of his personal
life, win victory over the struggle of existence, be crowned with a
strange and ethereal joy even while he is living in the environment
of the world, of this imperfect earth that is the heir to change, sorrow,
and death. Dharma is virtue and virtue is that which leads one to the
most perfect condition, the condition that is identical with the ultimate
success constituted of the joy of life, unlimited, unfettered and unalloyed,
complete beyond expression. As the highest virtue that man may practise,
Ahimsa is both a negative withdrawal and a positive assertion of the
'mind'. It is refraining from doing, speaking and thinking anything
which will cause pain and sorrow to any other individual, to any living
being. This represents the negative aspect of the discipline of Ahimsa.
Its positive aspect is brought out by an expression of universal love,
love that has no partiality, love that excludes nothing, love that cares
not for the effect of love! The ideal of universal love is a spontaneous
self-fulfilment in the delight of a discovery of Oneself, of the universally
self-same, our own inner consciousness in all. Until this is done, no
civilization is genuine, no culture is true, nothing is perfect and
lasting. In one word, it is in the light of absolute Conciousness which
is undifferentiated that Ahimsa which is more a matter of spirit than
an effect of a mere act, is practised.
Immediately succeeding the devotion to the principle of Ahimsa, comes
the practice of the excellence of truth. To the spiritual genius, Truth
is more than truth-speaking; it is God or the Absolute; it is that which
triumphs, not untruth. Again, Truth is right; untruth is wrong; that
which elevates one and takes one nearer to God is right, that which
brings one down and takes one away from God is wrong. And that God towards
which our whole inner being must rise, in the indivisible unity of conscious
existence, the infinity of delight and awareness. Control over passions
constitutes the essence of truth; self-denial or refraining from greedy
indulgence is truth; to permit the spiritual element in us triumph is
truth. Truth is a life in the eternal. Untruth is change, decay and
death. Love is truth; hatred is untruth; harmony is truth; disharmony
is untruth. There is no greater sin than hatred and battle-the pungent
word and the insolent action, the arrogance and the uncharitableness,
the egoistic self-assertion and vehement action of the selfish impulse.
Relative truths are valid only insofar as they do not run against the
grain of absolute truth which is the Eternal in the highest sense.
The third canon is the self-control which is the holding in check of
the instinctive urges that try to drag the individual away from the
experience of the truth. Self-control is a universal rule unexceptionally
applicable to all men and all women, at all places and at all times.
It is the very key to beatitude. Indulgence in externalities, in sensuous
objects, in physical pleasures is the effect of the failure of the individual
to discriminate the spiritual value from the material chaff, the Truth
from the untruth. Desire to have contact with and enjoy outward things
is the outcome of the ignorance of the Truth that is God, the Truth
that is the Infinite Existence. Self-control is the restraint of the
outgoing tendencies of the senses and the mind and to centre the same
in the active participation of Truth-existence, the Universal One. This
self-control, this energization of consciousness, this Tapas, this restraining
of one's externalising, self-diffusing energies and founding oneself
upon that one Cosmic Being is Dharma that supports the life and law
of the universe, integrates the being of man, and spreads before the
vision of man the creative God-centred life. Adharma is selfishness
and egoism of nature which leads to self-imprisonment, suffering and
failure in life. Absolute righteousness means the sacrifice of the self
for universal well-being, the well-being pertaining not merely to the
earth but to the highest spiritual reality, the well-being of keeping
the Consciousness in its poise liberated from the distraction engendered
by the darkness of ignorance, separativencss, division, limitedness.
It is the opposite of "I"-ness and "mine"-ness which
belong to the nature of the world of bondage.
Life on earth is not self-sufficient and, hence, there is perpetual
flux of states to reach other states of superior knowledge and happiness.
Life in this world and in this body is only a preparation, a step for
the higher life. That which we see and hear of is not the real; the
Real is beyond this. To reach the Real, the present life acts as a ladder,
a field of activity that affords the conditions and the scope for the
individual to establish its relations with the most exalted Divine Life.
Wrong it is to restrict the outlook of our life to the perceptible phenomena
and to judge our sense of values in relation to the objective worth
of things. The grandeur and greatness of our life rests upon the measure
to which we have raised ourselves into the law of inmost life in general,
in the Supreme Being. Dealings with one another are justified only so
long as they do not deviate from the eternal law of the Spiritual Nature.
Neither social welfare nor national betterment is possible by mere clinging
to shadows and forgetting the essential Substance. The substance of
Truth does not belong to any particular person for it is the being and
life of whatever that is. That which is One and Common can only be divisionless
and all-inclusive in a self-identical existence. This is the fulness
of attainment and the culmination of all the aspirations and ideals
of life.
In this integral spiritual view of life is rooted the ethical basis
of social and domestic relationship. Society is the collective body
of individuals determined to pierce the veils and enter the realms of
Immortal Being with the power of a unified and common aspiration and
struggle to grasp the Highest. Unified we live; divided we cease to
live. Human relationship is not meant to signify anything less than
the attempt to live in everyday life the spiritual egoless love that
is at the background of all existent beings. The love of the Self means
the love of everything of the universe. The Indian genius would complete
the teaching "Love thy neighbour as thyself" by adding "because
thy neighbour is thy own Self". Altruistic love is the expression
of eternal unison of the Infinite Life that lies at the depth of the
universe. If family or society or nation is understood as a means to
separate one from another, however much large the scope of its inclusion
of human beings may be, such a family, such a society, such a nation,
cannot triumph. All relationship is expected to end in the absolute
unity of existence excluding nothing from itself. This goal of life
should be borne in mind in the process of daily activities if our actions
are to be free from selfishness, at one with the universal movement
of Nature. Life is a divine worship. The proper conduct of family, the
administration of the country and the society is a part of the Universal
Government which looks at the entirety of beings with a strictly impartial
eye. We live because God exists and our life is to be perfect and just
even as God is perfect and just. We exist in God's Being, we breathe
and move in Him.
The knowledge of this unity of life and the proper moral and the ethical
attitude required to start the process of realising it are achieved
through being directly instructed by the teacher who is truly advanced
in knowledge and has attained Self-perfection.
The psychology of Gurukulavasa is inseparably connected with the science
of self-discipline and Self-knowledge. It is not the mechanical education
of the present day that is meant by real education in the Gurukula,
but the means of erasing out the propensities that cloud the awareness
of the Truth and controlling the distractive nature of the psyche. Self-mastery
is the effect of the protracted checking of the ego-sense and centring
of it in the General God-Being which is egoless, free from the sense
of individual existence. The religion, the philosophy, the code of ethical
and social law of India are all universal in their character. Universality
is the expression of the nature of the Reality. The highest universal
science of the Truth is the Vedanta in which are blended together the
different existent views of life. The Vedanta is neither a sect nor
a creed, but the science of the Absolute Reality, the only life-giving
science, the only solace to the intelligent mankind.
The boldest proclamation of Vedanta is that man is in essence infinitely
Divine, that everyone is bound to succeed sooner or later, that all
are bound to recover themselves in the Infinite Life Divine. The ideal
of the Vedanta is not merely a universal brotherhood nor merely living
a united and happy social life in the world of differentiated individuals,
but the being of the Absolute Essence of the Highest Divinity which
is the Life, Source and End of the Universe. The Vedanta is the master-technique
of transmuting the many into the Undivided One. It means Experience
Whole and existing as the birthless and deathless Infinite. This is
the greatest heritage of India, this is the greatest treasure that India
has and this is the greatest gift that India can offer to the world.
This is the zenith of culture and civilization, this is the highest
knowledge that man can ever attempt to acquire, this is the final fruition
of the best of human aspiration.
The awe-inspiring greatness of India rests mainly upon the bedrock
of Absolute-Experience, of Truth-realisation, or a poised awareness
of the Infinite here on earth, in this life, in the environment of the
dance and pageantry of finitude, relativity, objectivity. As the dwelling
place of the Rishis, the Sages, the Men of God-Vision, India enjoys
in the estimation of the world a unique prerogative.
All the grand ideals of world's great religions that have moulded the
characters of men, the loftiest tenets of ethics and morality that have
raised human beings to the magnanimous height of supreme perfection
and all the sublime truths of spirituality that have made man divine
and have shaped the spiritual life of nations and of the saviours of
mankind, first took their origins in India, the land of those daring
spiritual individuals who entered into the heart of the Absolute and
proclaimed truths which have eternal values. With its spiritual horizons
lit up with the deathless light of the Upanishadic wisdom, India is
essentially a land of spiritual wealth, and its history is the history
of religious experience. The Goal of India is Self-realisation or the
attainment of God-Consciousness through the express manifestation of
a spirit of renunciative detachment and through a dynamic divine knowledge.
If men are but to understand the significance and the richness of this
spiritual inheritance of India, and make the spirit of this heritage
part and parcel of their daily awareness, they all would be veritable
gods on earth.
Chapter
I
Yoga is a perfect practical system of self-culture. Yoga is an exact
science. It aims at the harmonious development of the body, the mind
and the soul. Yoga is the turning away of the senses from the objective
universe and the concentration of the mind within. Yoga is eternal life
in the soul or spirit. Yoga aims at controlling the mind and its modifications.
The path of Yoga is an inner path whose gateway is your heart.
Yoga is the discipline of the mind, senses and physical body. Yoga
helps in the co-ordination and control of the subtle forces within the
body. Yoga brings in perfection, peace and everlasting happiness. Yoga
can help you in your business and in your daily life. You can have calmness
of mind at all times by the practice of Yoga. You can have restful sleep.
You can have increased energy, vigour, vitality, longevity and a high
standard of health. Yoga transmutes animal nature into divine nature
and raises you to the pinnacle of divine glory and splendour.
The practice of Yoga will help you to control the emotions and passions
and will give you power to resist temptations and to remove the disturbing
elements form mind. It will enable you to keep a balanced mind always
and remove fatigue. It will confer on you serenity, calmness and wonderful
concentration. It will enable you to hold communion with the Lord and
thus attain the summum bonum of existence.
If you want to attain success in Yoga, you will have to abandon all
worldly enjoyments and practise Tapas and Brahmacharya. You will have
to control the mind skilfully and tactfully. You will have to use judicious
and intelligent methods to curb it. If you use force, it will become
more turbulent and mischievous. It cannot be controlled by force. It
will jump and drift away more and more. Those who attempt to control
the mind by force are like those who endeavour to bind a furious elephant
with a thin silken thread.
A Guru or preceptor is indispensable for the practice of Yoga. The
aspirant in the path of Yoga should be humble, simple, gentle, refined,
tolerant, merciful and kind. If you have a curiosity to get psychic
powers, you cannot have success in Yoga. Yoga does not consist in sitting
cross-legged for six hours or stopping the pulse or beatings of the
heart or getting oneself buried underneath the ground for a week or
a month.
Self-sufficiency, impertinence, pride, luxury, name, fame, self-assertive
nature, obstinacy, idea of superiority, sensual desires, evil company,
laziness, overeating, overwork, too much mixing and too much talking
are some of the obstacles in the path of Yoga. Admit your faults freely.
When you are free from all these evil traits, Samadhi or union will
come by itself.
Practise Yama and Niyama. Sit comfortably in Padma or Siddhasana. Restrain
the breath. Withdraw the senses. Control the thoughts. Concentrate.
Meditate and attain Asamprajnata or Nirvikalpa Samadhi (union with the
Supreme Self).
May you shine as a brilliant Yogi by the practice of Yoga! May you
enjoy the bliss of the Eternal!
Karma Yoga is selfless service unto humanity. "Your duty is to
work incessantly but not to expect the fruits thereof." This is
the central teaching of the Gita.
Repeat your Ishtamantra mentally even when you work in office. God
is the Inner Ruler. He directs the body, mind and senses to work. Become
an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Do not expect thanks or appreciation
for your work. Do actions as your duty and offer them and their fruits
to the Lord. You will be freed from the bonds of Karma. It is not the
Karma but the selfish motive that binds the man.
Never, never say, "I have helped that man." Feel and think,
"That man gave me an opportunity to serve. This piece of service
has helped me to purify my mind. I am extremely grateful to him."
If you see a poor man clad in rags standing in front of your door, feel
that the Lord is before you in the form of a poor man. Serve him with
Narayana Bhava.
Never grumble when you do service to others. Take delight in service.
Watch for opportunities, to serve. Never miss even a single opportunity.
Work is worship of the Lord.
A Karma Yogi should have an amiable, loving, social nature. He should
have sympathy, adaptability, self-restraint, tolerance, love and mercy.
He should adjust himself to the ways and habits of others. He should
be able to bear insult, harsh words, criticism, pleasure and pain, heat
and cold.
You can do selfless service according to your ability and station in
life. An advocate can plead for poor people without accepting fees.
A doctor can treat the poor free of charge. A teacher or professor can
give free tution to poor boys. He can supply them books for study.
Have a medicine-chest of 12 tissue remedies or some allopathic medicines
or homoeopathic medicines. Serve the poor and sick with Atma Bhava.
Give one-tenth of your income in charity. This is the highest Yoga.
Do not make any difference between menial and respectable work. If
any one is suffering from acute-pain in any part of the body, at once
shampoo the affected part very gently. Feel that you are serving the
Lord in the body of the patient. Repeat your Ishtamantra also. If you
see a man or animal bleeding on the roadside, never hesitate to tear
your upper cloth or shirt and use it for bandaging, in the absence of
any other means of bandage. Do not bargain with the poor porters at
the railway station. Be liberal and generous. Keep always some small
coins in your pocket and distribute them to the poor and the decrepit.
Karma Yoga prepares the mind for the reception of light and knowledge.
It expands the heart and breaks all barriers that stand in the way of
oneness or unity. Karma Yoga is an effective Sadhana for Chitta Suddhi
or purity of heart. Therefore, do selfless service constantly.
Hatha Yoga relates to the restraint of breath (Pranayama), Asanas,
Bandhas and Mudras. 'Ha' and 'tha' mean the union of the sun and the
moon, union of Prana and Apana Vayus. 'Hatha' means any tenacious practice
till the object or end is achieved. Trataka, standing on one leg, (a
kind of Tapas) and similar poses are all Hatha Yoga practices. Hatha
Yoga is inseparable from Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga begins where Hatha Yoga
ends. Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga are interdependent. Raja Yoga and Hatha
Yoga are the necessary counterparts of each other. No one can become
a perfect Yogi without a knowledge and practice of both the Yogas. Hatha
Yoga prepares the student to take up Raja Yoga.
A Hatha Yogi starts his Sadhana with body and Prana; a Raja Yogi starts
his Sadhana with his mind; a Jnana Yogi starts his Sadhana with Buddhi
or intellect and will.
A Hatha Yogi gets Siddhis (psychic powers) by uniting Prana and Apana
and by taking the united Prana-Apana through the six Chakras (centres
of spiritual energy) to Sahasrara at the crown of the head. A Raja Yogi
gets Siddhis by Samyama, i.e., combined practice of Dharana, Dhyana
and Samadhi at one time. A Jnana Yogi exhibits Siddhis through pure
will or Sat-Sankalpa. A Bhakta gets Siddhis through self-surrender and
the consequent descent of grace. Kriyas, viz., Neti, Dhauti, Nauli,
Basti, Tratak and Kapalabhati belong to Hatha Yoga. All need not practise
these Kriyas. Those who have got much phlegm in the body should practise
these Kriyas. Learn these under an expert Hatha Yogi. Hatha Yoga is
not the goal. It is only a means to an end. Take to Raja Yoga after
possessing good health.
Do Asana, Kumbhaka, Mudra and shake the Kundalini. Then take it to
Sahasrara through Chakras in the Sushumna. O children of light! Will
you drink not, will you drink not, the nectar of immortality?
Brother! Attain good health. Without health how can you live? Without
health, how can you earn? Without health how can you get success in
Yoga or any undertaking? Possess wonderful health through the practice
of Hatha Yoga. Drink the nectar in Sahasrara and live in the immortal
abode of Siva.
Health is wealth. Health is indeed a covetable possession. Good health
is a valuable asset to one and all. It can be achieved by the regular
practice of Yoga Asanas.
The practice of Asanas controls the emotions, produces mental peace,
distributes Prana evenly throughout the body and different systems,
helps in maintaining healthy functioning of the internal organs, gives
internal massage to the various abdominal organs. Physical exercises
draw the Prana (energy) out but the Asanas send the Prana in. The practice
of Asanas cures many diseases and awakens Kundalini Sakti. These are
the chief advantages in the Yogic system of exercises which no other
systems have.
Practise a few Asanas daily at least for a period of fifteen minutes.
You will possess wonderful health. Be regular in your practice. Regularity
is of paramount importance. Practise Bhujang, Salabh, Dhanur, Sarvang,
Hala and Paschimottasan Asanas. Bhujang, Salabh and Dhanur will remove
constipation and muscular pain of the back. Sirsh, Sarvang and Hala
will help you in maintaining Brahmacharya, rendering the spine elastic
and curing all diseases. Paschimottasan will reduce fat in the belly
and help digestion. Relax all muscles in Savasana in the end.
Asanas should be done on empty stomach in the morning or at least three
hours after food. Morning time is best for doing Asanas. Do not wear
spectacles when you do Asanas. Wear a singlet if necessary and a Langotee.
Be moderate in your diet. Practice of Brahmacharya is very important
for success in Yoga Asanas. Start with minimum time for each Asana and
then gradually increase the period. Answer the calls of nature before
you start the practice. Boys and girls over ten years of age as well
as women can practise Asanas.
The world needs good, healthy, strong boys and girls. What do we find
in these days in India? India, the land of Rishis and sages, the land
which produced Bhishma, Bhima, Arjuna, Drona, Asvatthama, Kripa, Parasurama
and countless other chivalrous warriors, the soil which contained numberless
Rajput chiefs of undaunted courage and matchless strength, now abounds
in weak and timid persons. Children beget children. The laws of health
are ignored and neglected. The nation is suffering and dying. The world
requires numberless brave, moral, Adhyatmic soldiers who are equipped
with the five virtues, viz., Ahimsa, Satyam, Asteya, Brahmacharya
and Aparigraha.
Pranayama is an exact science. It is the fourth Anga or limb of Ashtanga
Yoga. It is the regulation of breath or control of Prana.
Pranayama steadies the mind, augments the gastric fire, energises digestion,
invigorates the nerves, destroys the Rajas, destroys all diseases, removes
all laziness, makes the body light and healthy and awakens Kundalini.
Pranayama should be practised when the stomach is empty. Be regular
in your practice. Do not take bath immediately after the practice. Do
not practise Kumbhaka or retention of breath in the beginning. Have
only slow and mild Puraka (inhalation) and Rechaka (exhalation). Do
not strain the breath beyond your capacity. Keep the ratio for Puraka,
Kumbhaka and Rechaka as 1:4:2. Exhale very very slowly.
Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana. Keep the head, neck and trunk
in a straight line. Inhale slowly through the left nostril and retain
the breath according to the ratio, then exhale slowly through the right
nostril. This is half process of Pranayama. Then inhale through the
right nostril, retain and exhale through the left nostril. Do not retain
the breath for more than one or two minutes.
Do ten or twenty Pranayamas according to your capacity. Do not fatigue
yourself. Increase the number gradually. You can go up to 16:64:32.
This is Sukhapurvaka or easy comfortable Pranayama.
Practise Sitali in summer. This will purify your blood and cool the
system too. Practise Bhastrika in winter. This will cure asthma and
consumption. Repeat 'Om' or 'Rama' mentally during the practice. Observe
Brahmacharya and diet-control. You will derive maximum benefits and
will quickly purify the Nadis or nerves.
Prana and mind are intimately related to each other. If you control
Prana, the mind will also be controlled. If you control the mind, the
Prana will be automatically controlled. Prana is related to mind, and
through it to will and through will to the individual soul and through
individual soul to the Supreme Soul.
Start the practice this very second in right earnest. Control the breath
and calm the mind. Steady the breath and enter Samadhi. Restrain the
breath and lengthen the life. Subdue the breath and become a Yogi, a
dynamo of power, peace, bliss and happiness.
Kundalini Sakti is the coiled-up, dormant, cosmic power that underlies
all organic as well as inorganic matter. It is the primordial energy
that lies at the basal Muladhara Chakra in a dormant, potential state.
Kundalini Yoga is that Yoga which treats of Kundalini Sakti, the seven
Chakras or centres of spiritual energy, the arousing of the sleeping
Kundalini Sakti and its union with Lord Siva in Sahasrara Chakra at
the crown of the head. The seven Chakras are pierced by the passing
of Kundalini Sakti to the top of the head.
The seven Chakras are: Muladhara (at the anus), Svadhishthana (at the
root of the organ of generation), Manipura (at the navel), Anahata (in
the heart), Visuddha (in the neck), Ajna (in the space between the two
eyebrows) and Sahasrara (at the crown of the head).
Nadis are the astral tubes that carry Pranic currents. They cannot
be seen by naked eyes. They are not the ordinary nerves, arteries and
veins. There are 72,000 Nadis. Among them three are important. They
are Ida, Pingala and Sushumna. Sushumna is the most important one, because
Kundalini passes through this Nadi only. The first step in Kundalini
Yoga is the purification of Nadis. When Sushumna is pure then only Kundalini
will pass through it. Purification of Nadis is done by the practice
of Pranayama.
The Yogi opens the mouth of Sushumna Nadi through Pranayama, Bandhas
and Mudras and awakens the sleeping Kundalini and takes Her to Sahasrara
at the crown of the head through the lower six Chakras. Kundalini sleeps
in the Muladhara in 31/2 coils. The three coils represent the three
Gunas and half coil represents the Vikritis.
Kundalini is awakened through Pranayama, Asanas and Mudras by Hatha
Yogins, through concentration by Raja Yogins, through devotion and perfect
self-surrender by Bhaktas or devotees; through analytical will, by the
Jnanis; by Japa of Mantra and by the grace of the Guru.
If you are pure and free from all desires, Kundalini will awaken by
itself and you will be benefited. If you awaken Kundalini by violent
methods, forcibly, when your heart is impure, when desires lurk in your
mind, you will come across temptations of various sorts, when you move
from plane to plane, you will have a downfall. You will have no strength
of will to resist these temptations.
That aspirant who has firm faith in Yogic Sastras, who is courageous,
devotional, humble, generous, merciful, pure and dispassionate, can
easily awaken Kundalini and attain success in Samadhi. He should also
be equipped with right conduct and self-restraint; he should constantly
engage himself in the service of his Guru and be free from lust, anger,
Moha, greed and vanity.
When Kundalini is taken to the Sahasrara, when She is united with Lord
Siva, perfect Samadhi (super-conscious blissful state) ensues. The Yogi
drinks the nectar of immortality.
May Mother Kundalini guide you all in your Yogic practices ! May Her
blessings be upon you all!
Raja Yoga is an exact science. It aims at controlling all thought-waves
or mental modifications. It concerns with the mind, its purification
and control. Hence it is called Raja Yoga, i.e., king of all Yogas.
It is otherwise known as Ashtanga Yoga i.e., Yoga with eight limbs.
The eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga are: Yama (self-restraint), Niyama
(religious observances), Asana (posture), Pranayama (restraint of breath),
Pratyahara (abstraction of senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana
(meditation) and Samadhi (super-conscious state). Yama is practice of
Ahimsa (non-injury), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya
(celibacy) and Aparigraha (non-covetousness) in thought, word and deed.
This is the foundation of Yoga. Niyama is observance of the five canons
viz., Saucha (internal and external purity), Santosha (contentment),
Tapas (austerity). Svadhyaya (study of religious books and repetition
of Mantras) and Ishvara-Pranidhana (worship of God and self-surrender).
Cultivate Maitri (friendship with equals), Karuna (mercy towards inferiors),
Mudita (complaisancy towards superiors), Upeksha (indifference towards
wicked people). You can eradicate jealousy and hatred and attain peace
of mind. Ascend the ladder of Yoga patiently through its different rungs
and attain the highest summit of the ladder, i.e., Asamprajnata Samadhi,
wherein all Samskaras (impressions) which bring about successive births
are absolutely fried up.
If you really aspire to unfold the lurking divinity within, if you
really want to get rid of the meshes of this Samsara, you must know
the technique of thought-control which is embodied in the system of
Raja Yoga. You must know the ways of right living, right thinking, right
speaking and right acting. You must practise the five rules of Yama
or right conduct or Sadachara. You must know how to withdraw the mind
from external objects and fix it on one point. You must know the right
method of concentration and meditation. Then alone you can be really
happy. Then and then alone, you will have power, independence and suzerainty.
Then and then alone, you will attain immortality, freedom and perfection.
A knowledge of the ways and habits of the mind, its operations, the
laws of the mind and the methods of mind-control and mental discipline
is very necessary if you want to enjoy real happiness and peace of an
unruffled and abiding nature.
Practise Raja Yoga, control the thoughts, discipline the mind, meditate
regularly and attain independence, immortality, freedom and perfection.
Mind is Atma Sakti. It is through mind only that Brahman or the Supreme
Self manifests as the differentiated universe with heterogeneous objects.
Mind is nothing but a collection of Samskaras or impressions. It is
nothing but a bundle of habits. The true nature of the mind consists
in the Vasanas or subtle desires. The idea of 'I' or egoism is the seed
of the tree of mind. The sprout which springs up from this seed egoism
is Buddhi or intellect. From this sprout the ramifying branches called
Sankalpas take their origin.
Mind is made up of subtle Sattvic matter. According to Chhandogya Upanishad,
mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food.
Mind is of two kinds, viz., the Asuddha or impure mind and the Suddha
or pure mind. The former leads to bondage while the latter helps the
aspirant to attain liberation.
Manolaya or temporary absorption of the mind in the object of meditation
will not help you to attain liberation. Manonasa or annihilation of
the mind only will enable you to achieve the final emancipation or Moksha.
Have no longing for objects. Reduce your wants. Cultivate Vairagya
or dispassion. Vairagya thins out the mind.
Do not mix much. Do not talk much. Do not walk much. Do not eat much.
Do not sleep much.
Control your emotion. Abandon desires and Vasanas. Control irritability
and lust. Slay the impure mind through the pure mind and transcend the
pure mind through meditation. Practise perfect Brahmacharya. There is
no half measure in the spiritual path.
Never wrestle with the mind. Do not use any violent effort in concentration.
When the mind is jumping and wandering much, make no violent effort
to control it but rather allow it to run along for a while and exhaust
its efforts. It will take advantage of the opportunity and will jump
around like an unchained monkey at first. Then it will gradually become
quiet and look to you for orders.
If evil thoughts enter your mind, do not use your will-force in driving
them. You will lose energy. You will tax your will. You will fatigue
yourself. The greater the efforts you make, the more the evil thoughts
will return with redoubled force. They will return more quickly also.
The thoughts will become more powerful. Be indifferent. Keep quiet.
Become a silent witness of those thoughts. Do not identify yourself
with them. They will vanish soon. Substitute good thoughts. Pray and
sing the Lord's name.
Never miss for a day your meditation. Regularity is of paramount importance.
When the mind is tired do not concentrate. Give a little rest. Do not
take heavy food at night. This will interfere with your morning meditation.
Japa, Kirtan, Pranayama, Satsanga (association with the sages), practice
of Sama (serenity), Dama (self-restraint), Yama (right conduct), Sattvic
or pure food, study of scriptures, meditation, Vichara or Atmic enquiry-all
these will help you to control the mind and attain eternal bliss and
immortality.
Sit in Padmasana or Siddhasana or Sukhasana. Close the ears with the
thumbs. This is Shanmukhi Mudra or Vaishnavi Mudra. Hear the music of
Anahata sounds. You will have wonderful concentration.
Do Japa (Ajapa Japa) of Soham with breath or Japa of any Mantra. Practise
Pranayama for one or two months. You will hear the ten sounds clearly
and enjoy the music of the soul. The sound that you hear will make you
deaf to all external sounds.
Abandon all worldly thoughts. Control your passion. Become indifferent
to all objects. Practise Yama (self-restraint), or Sadachara (right
conduct). Concentrate your attention on the sound which annihilates
the mind.
The sound serves the purpose of a sharp goad to control the elephant-mind
which roams in the pleasure garden of sensual objects. It serves the
purpose of a snare for binding the deer-Chitta. Just as the bee which
drinks the honey does not care for the odour, so the mind which is absorbed
in sound does not long for sensual objects.
The first sound is Chini, the second is Chinichini. The third is the
sound of a bell. The fourth is like that of a conch. The fifth is like
that of a lute. The sixth is like that of a cymbal. The seventh is like
that of a flute. The eighth is like that of a drum. The ninth is like
that of a Mridanga. The tenth is like that of thunder. Hear the internal
sound through the right ear. Change your concentration from the gross
sound to the subtle. The mind will soon be absorbed in the sound.
You will get knowledge of hidden things in the seventh. In the eighth
stage you will hear Paravak. In the ninth you will develop divine eye.
In the tenth you will attain Para Brahman.
The sound entraps the mind. The mind becomes one with the sound as
milk with water. It becomes absorbed in Brahman or the Absolute. You
will then attain the seat of Eternal Bliss.
Chapter
II
Haft-hearted service is no service at all. Give your whole heart, mind
and soul when you serve. This is very important when you practise Karma
Yoga.
Some people have their body in one place, mind in another place, and
soul in another place. That is the reason why they do not realise any
substantial progress in the path.
Forget not the goal of life amidst selfish activities. The goal of
life is Self-realisation. Are you attempting to reach the end and aim
of life? Are you doing Japa, Pranayama and Meditation? Have you kept
up the ideal before the mind's eye? That day in which you do not practise
any spiritual Sadhana is wasted. Give the mind to God and the hands
to work. You will have to analyse and scrutinise your motives. It is
the selfish motive and not the work itself that binds a man to Samsara.
Prepare the mind for Karma Yoga. Mere selfish work cannot be taken as
Yogic activity. The mind is so framed that it always expects something
for a small piece of work. When you smile you expect a return of smile
from your friend. When you raise your hand in salutation, you will expect
a salute from other people. Even when you give a cup of water to another
man, you expect him to be grateful to you. When such is the case, how
can you perform Nishkama Karma Yoga?
Life is very precious. Live in the spirit of the Gita teaching and
work without expectation of fruits and egoism. Think you are Nimitta
in the hands of Lord Narayana. If you work with this mental attitude
you will become a Yogi soon. Work never degrades a man. Unselfish work
is Puja of Narayana. Work is worship. All works are sacred. There is
no menial work from the highest view-point of the absolute, from the
view-point of Karma Yoga. Even scavenging when done with the right spirit
and mental attitude is Yogic action. Even a scavenger can realise God
in his own station of life by service. The famous butcher-Sadhaka of
the Mahahharata realised God in his meat-shop (through serving his parents).
You have got inside all materials for wisdom. There is a vast magazine
of power and knowledge within you. It wants kindling. Now wake up, O
Saumya!
When you work disinterestedly without any agency and when you surrender
the works and fruits as Ishvararpana, all Karmas are transformed into
Yogic Kriyas. Walking, eating, sleeping, answering the calls of nature,
talking, etc., become offering unto the Lord. Every bit of work is Yoga
for you. Think that Lord Siva is working through your hands, and is
eating through your mouth. Think that your hands are the hands of Lord
Siva. In the beginning some of your actions may be selfish and some
may be unselfish. In the long run you can do all actions in an unselfish
manner. Scrutinise your motives always. This is the key-note for Nishkama
Karma Yoga. Every act can be spiritualised when the motive becomes pure.
Work is meditation. Serve everyone with intense love, without any idea
of agency, without expectation of fruits or reward. If you adopt the
path of Jnana, feel you are a silent Sakshi and the Prakriti does everything.
It is selfishness that has deplorably contracted your heart. Selfishness
is the bane of society. Selfishness clouds understanding. Selfishness
is petty-mindedness. Bhoga increases selfishness and selfish Pravritti.
It is the root-cause for human sufferings. Real spiritual progress starts
in selfless service. Serve the Sadhus, Sannyasins, Bhaktas and poor
and sick persons with Bhava, Prema and Bhakti. The Lord is seated in
the hearts of all.
The spirit of service must deeply enter into your very bones, cells,
tissues, nerves, etc. The reward is invaluable. Practise and feel the
cosmic expansion and infinite Ananda. Tall tales and idle gossip will
not do, my dear friends! Evince intense zeal and enthusiasm in work.
Be fiery in the spirit of service.
Have Nishtha with God and Cheshta with hands like the Bahurupi who
has the Nishtha of a male and the Cheshta of a female. You will be able
to do two things at a time by practice. The manual work will become
automatic, mechanical or intuitive. You will have two minds. A portion
of the mind will be at work; three quarters of the mind will be in the
service of the Lord, in meditation, in Japa. Karma Yoga is generally
combined with Bhakti Yoga. A Karma Yogin offers to the Lord as an oblation
whatever he does through the Karma-Indriyas. This is Ishvara Pranidhana.
A raw untrained aspirant feels, "My preceptor is treating me like
a servant or a peon. He is using me for petty jobs." He who has
understood the right significance of Karma Yoga will take every work
as Yogic activity or worship of the Lord. There is no menial work in
his vision. Every work is Puja of Narayana. In the light of Karma Yoga
all actions are sacred. That aspirant who always takes immense delight
in doing works which are considered by the worldly man as menial services,
and who always does willingly such acts only will become a dynamic Yogi.
He will be absolutely free from conceit and egoism. He will have no
downfall. The canker of pride cannot touch him.
Study the autobiography of Mahatma Gandhiji. He never made any difference
between menial service and dignified work. Scavenging and cleaning of
the latrine was the highest Yoga for him. This was the highest Puja
for him. He himself did the cleaning of latrines. He annihilated the
illusory little 'I' through service of various sorts. Many highly educated
persons joined his Ashram for learning Yoga under him. They thought
that Gandhiji would teach them Yoga in some mysterious manner in a private
room and would give lessons on Pranayama, meditation, abstration, awakening
of Kundalini, etc. They were disappointed when they were asked to clean
the latrine first. They left the Ashram immediately. Gandhiji himself
repaired his shoes. He himself used to grind flour and take upon his
shoulders the work of others also when they were unable to do their
allotted portion of work for the day in the Ashram. When an educated
person, a new Ashramite, felt shy to do the grinding work, Gandhiji
himself would do his work in front of him and then the man would do
the work himself from the next day willingly.
In the West, cobblers and peasants have risen to a very great position
in society. Every work is a respectable work for them. A boy applies
polish to the boots in the streets of London for a penny, carries newspapers
and journals in the afternoon for sale and works as an apprentice under
a journalist during his leisure hours at night. He studies books, works
hard, never wastes a minute and in a few years becomes a journalist
of great repute and international fame. In Punjab some graduates have
taken to hair-dressing work. They have understood the dignity of labour.
A real Yogi does not make any difference between menial and respectable
work. It is only an ignorant man who makes such a difference. Some aspirants
are humble in the beginning of their spiritual career. When they get
some name and fame, some followers, admirers, devotees and disciples,
they become victims to pride.
They cannot do any service. They cannot carry anything on their heads
or hands. That Yogi who carries the trunk on his head without the slightest
feeling in the railway platform amidst a multitude of his admirers,
disciples and devotees, without making any outward show of humility
must be adored. Sage Jada Bharata carried the palanquin of King Rahugana
on his shoulders without murmuring. Lord Krishna shampooed the legs
of a Raja when his barber devotee was on leave. Sri Rama carried a pot
of water for the ablution of one of his devotees. Sri Krishna took the
form of a menial servant as Vithoo and paid the money to the Nawab on
behalf of his devotee, Dhamaji. If you really want to grow in the spiritual
path you must do all sorts of service daily till the end of life. Then
only you are safe. Do not stop doing service when you have become a
famous Yogi. The spirit of service must enter every nerve, cell, tissue
and bone of your body. It must be ingrained in you. Then only you will
become a real fullblown practical Vedantin.
Is there any greater Vedantin or Karma Yogi than Lord Buddha? He still
lives in our hearts, because the spirit of service was ingrained in
him and he spent his whole life in serving others in a variety of ways.
A magnanimous soul, one without a second! You can also become a Buddha
if you apply yourself diligently to selfless service with the right
mental attitude.
Lord Krishna says in His Gita: 'Tasmat Sarveshu kaleshu mam anusmara
yudhya cha". "Therefore at all times think of Me and fight."
Give the mind to God and the hand to work. The typist works at the machine
and talks with his friends. The player on the harmonium plays on the
organ and talks and jokes with his friends. The lady knits and talks
with her comrades. The mind of the girl who has a water-pot on her head
is on the water-pot, though she is talking and joking with her companions
while she is walking on the road. A nurse while she is nursing the baby
of another lady has her mind rivetted on her own baby. A cowherd while
he is looking after the cows of other people has his mind fixed on his
own cow. Even so, have your mind fixed at the lotus feet of the Lord,
while you are doing your household duties and office work. You will
realise Self-consciousness quickly. Just as the water remains unaffected
in the lotus leaf, just as the oil floats upon the surface of the water
without being affected in any way, so also you should remain in the
world amidst troubles, pleasures and difficulties.
Just as the tongue is not affected by taking ghee, so also you should
remain unaffected even amidst worldly activities and troubles. You must
keep up the Nirlipta state. This is Jnana. This is balance (Samata).
You may fail to keep the balance and Nirlipta state in thousand and
one times. But in the long run you are bound to succeed if you persist
in your practice and if you discipline the mind properly. Every failure
is a pillar for future success. Remember this point well.
A Karma Yogin should not expect even return of love, appreciation,
gratitude, and admiration from the people whom he is serving.
Only he who has reduced his wants and controlled the Indriyas can do
Karma Yoga. How can a luxurious man with revolting Indriyas serve others?
He wants everything for himself and wants to exploit and domineer others.
Another qualification is that you must be balanced in success or failure,
gain or loss, victory or defeat. You must be free from Raga and Dvesha.
"An action which is ordained, done by one undesirous of fruit,
devoid of attachment, without love or hate, is called pure". (Gita
XVIII-23).
Karma means work or action. According to Jaimini, rituals like Agnihotra,
Yajnas, etc., are termed Karmas. There is a hidden power in Karma termed
Adrishta which brings in fruits of Karmas for the individual. Karma
is all for Jaimini. Karma is everything for a student of Mimamsa school
of thought. Jaimini is the founder of Purva Mimamsa. He was a student
of Maharshi Vyasa, the founder of Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta. The Mimamsa
school denies the existence of Ishvara who awards the fruits of works.
According to the Gita, any action is Karma. Charity, sacrifice, Tapas
are all Karmas. In a philosophical sense, breathing, seeing, hearing,
tasting, feeling, smelling, walking, talking, etc., are all Karmas.
Thinking is the real Karma. Raga-Dvesha constitute the real Karma.
Have right thinking. Use your reason and commonsense. Follow the injunctions
of the Sastras. Consult the code of Manu or Yajnavalkya Smriti whenever
you have doubts. You will be able to find out whether you are doing
right or wrong action. If you say, 'Sastras are countless. They are
like ocean. I can hardly understand the truths that are inculcated.
I cannot fathom and gauge their depths. There are contradictions. I
am puzzled and bewildered.' Then strictly follow the words of a Guru
on whom you have absolute faith and confidence. The third way is: Have
fear in God. Consult your conscience. The shrill, inner voice will guide
you. As soon as you hear the voice, do not delay even a moment. Start
the action diligently without consulting anybody. Practise to hear the
inner voice in the morning at four. If there is fear, shame, doubt or
pricking of conscience, know that you are doing a wrong action. If there
is joy, exhilaration or satisfaction, understand that you are doing
the right action.
When the diverse, confining sheaths of the Atma have been dissolved
by Sadhana, when the different Vrittis of the mind have been controlled
by mental drill or gymnastic, when the conscious mind is not active,
you enter the realm of spirit life, the super-conscious mind where Buddhi
and pure reason and intuition, the faculty of direct cognition of Truth,
manifest. You pass into the kingdom of peace where there is none to
speak, you will hear the voice of God which is very clear and pure and
has an upward tendency. Listen to the voice with attention and interest.
It will guide you. It is the voice of God.
(By Sri Sankaracharya)
Atma tvam girija mitih sahacharah pranah sareeram griham.
Puja te vishyopabhogarachana nidra samadhisthitih,
Sancharah padoyoh pradakshinavidhih stotrani sarva giro;
Yadyat karma karomi tat tad akhilam sambhotavaradhanam.
Repeat the Sloka at the end of your meditation.
"Thou art Atma: Buddhi is thy consort, Parvati (who is born of
mountain); the Pranas are thy attendants; this body is thy house; the
action of sensual enjoyment is thy worship; deep sleep is the establishment
of Samadhi; walking by my feet is the perambulation around Thee; all
my speeches are thy praises; whatever actions I perform, are all Thy
worship; Oh Sambho!"
Chapter
III
Para Brahman cannot be demonstrated. But it is possible to infer the
existence from certain empirical factors. The existence of Brahman is
known from the fact of its being the SELF of everyone. For everyone
is conscious of the existence of his self and never thinks "I am
not." If the existence of his self were not known, everyone would
think: "I am not." This self, of whose existence all are conscious,
is Brahman. There is an inherent feeling in everybody: "I exist-Aham
Asmi."
You dream sometimes that you are dead and that your relatives are weeping.
Even in that supposed death state, you see and hear them weeping. This
clearly indicates that, even after the apparent death, life really persists.
You exist even after the physical sheath is thrown out. That existence
is Atman or Brahman or the Supreme Self.
Close your eyes and imagine for a moment that you are dead. You can
never do so. You can never think that you will not exist after death.
You will imagine that your dead body is lying flat and that you are
witnessing the dead body. This definitely proves that you are always
the witnessing subject or Sakshi.
When you are in the dark, when you are behind a veil, if anybody enquires:
'Who is there?', you will unhesitatingly answer: 'It is I'. If he again
asks you: 'Who is there?' you will say: 'I am So and So.' This 'I am
So and So' is a mental Kalpnana or false superimposition on account
of ignorance. At first you have expressed spontaneously your inherent
feeling of existence, the big infinite 'I'. Nothing can resist this
innate feeling of 'Aham Asmi.'
By whose command are the earth and the sky, the sun and the moon, upheld
in their places? By whose command do the seas not overstep their limits?
By whose command does the sun rise punctually in the morning and set
in the evening? By whose command do the seasons, solstices and the years
not transgress? By whose command do Karmas and their performers and
their fruits not likewise go beyond their appointed time? It is by the
command of Brahman-the Inner Ruler, Controller and Governor.
What is common in trees, ants, birds, stones and man? Existence. A
tree exists. A bird exists. A stone exists. A man exists. Existence
is Brahman.
Some are rich, some are poor. Some are healthy, some are born blind.
Some die at eighty, some die at ten. What is the cause for this variation?
This clearly proves the theory of Karma that there is one Omniscient
Lord, who is the dispenser of fruits of actions of human beings, who
fixes the span of life in accordance with the nature of their actions,
who knows the exact relation between Karmas and their fruits. Karma
is Jada or insentient. It certainly cannot dispense the fruits of the
actions.
In sleep there are no senses, no objects, no mind and yet you experience
the highest bliss. Wherefrom have you derived the bliss? The mind rests
in Brahman during sleep and it is from Brahman that this Bliss is derived.
Cogito, ergo sum-"I think, therefore, I am." This
is Descartes's fundamental basis of philosophy. Sri Sankara says: "This
Atman cannot be illusive, for, he who would deny it, witnesses its reality
even in denying it."
Prayer elevates the mind. It fills the mind with purity. It is associated
with praise of God. It keeps the mind in tune with God. Prayer can reach
a realm where reason dare not enter. Prayer can move mountains. It can
work miracles. It frees the devotee from the fear of death, brings him
nearer to God and makes him feel the divine presence everywhere. It
awakens in him the divine consciousness and makes him feel his essential
immortal and blissful nature.
It was the prayer of Prahlada that rendered cool the burning oil when
it was poured on his head. It was the prayer of Mira that converted
the bed of nails into a bed of roses and the cobra into a flower-garland.
Prayer has tremendous influence. Mahatma Gandhi was a great votary
of prayer. If the prayer is sincere and if it proceeds from the bottom
of your heart (Antarika), it will at once melt the heart of the Lord.
Sri Krishna had to run bare-footed from Dvaraka on hearing the heart-felt
prayer of Draupadi. You all know this. Lord Hari, the mighty ruler of
this universe, apologised before Prahlada for coming a little late when
the latter prayed. How merciful and loving is the Lord!
Say even once from the bottom of your heart: "O Lord, I am thine.
Thy will be done. Have mercy on me. I am Thy servant and devotee. Forgive.
Guide. Protect. Enlighten. Trahi. Prachodayat." Have a meek, receptive
attitude of mind. Have Bhava in your heart. The prayer is at once heard
and responded to. Do this in the daily battle of life and realise yourself
the high efficacy of prayer. You must have strong Astikya-Buddhi (strong
conviction in the existence of God).
Christians have different prayers for getting various gifts and bounties
from God. Mohammedans and all religionists have daily prayers at sunrise,
noon, sunset, just before retiring to bed, just before taking food.
Prayer is the beginning of Yoga. Prayer is the first important Anga
(limb) of Yoga. Preliminary spiritual Sadhana or practice is prayer.
God helps even a dacoit when he prays. Pray to God for purity, devotion,
light and knowledge. You will get these things. Get up early in the
morning and repeat some prayers for getting mental and physical Brahmacharya.
Pray in any manner you like. Become as simple as a child. Open freely
the chambers of your heart. Sincere Bhaktas know pretty well about the
high efficacy of prayers. Narada Muni is still praying. Nama Deva prayed
and Vittal came out of the image to eat his food. Ekanath prayed. Lord
Hari showed His Chaturbhuj form. Sri Krishna served Damaji as a servant
when he prayed; He played the part of a menial in paying his dues to
the Badshah. What more do you want? Pray fervently right now from this
very second. Do not delay, friend. That 'to-morrow' will never come.
The power of prayer is indescribable. Its glory is ineffable. Only
sincere devotees realise its usefulness and splendour. It should be
done with reverence, faith and Nishkama-Bhava (non-expectation of fruits),
and with a heart wet with devotion. O ignorant man! Do not argue about
the efficacy of prayer. You will be deluded. There is no arguing in
spiritual matters. Intellect is a finite and a frail instrument. Do
not trust this. Remove now the darkness of your ignorance through the
light of prayer.
The term 'Bhakti' comes from the root 'Bhaj' which means 'to be attached
to God.' Bhakti is the form of supreme love towards God. It is love
for love's sake. The devotee wants God and God alone. There is no selfish
expectation here. Bhakti is of the nature of nectar. It is the spontaneous
outpouring of love towards God. It is pure unselfish love or Suddha
Prem. It is the sacred higher emotion with sublime sentiments that unites
the devotee with the Lord. It has to be experienced by the devotees.
Bhakti is the basis of all religious life. Bhakti destroys Vasanas
and egoism. Bhakti elevates the mind to magnanimous heights. Bhakti
is the master-key to open the chambers of wisdom. Bhakti culminates
in Jnana. Bhakti begins in two and ends in one. Para Bhakti and Jnana
are one.
There is no virtue higher than love; there is no treasure higher than
love; there is no Dharma higher than love; there is no religion higher
than love; because, love is Truth and love is God. Love, Prem and Bhakti
are synonymous terms. This world has come out of love. This world exists
in love and this world ultimately dissolves in love. God is an embodiment
of love. In every inch of His creation, you can verily understand His
love.
A life without love, faith and devotion is a dreary waste. It is a
real death. Love is divine. Love is the greatest power on earth. It
is irresistible. It is love alone that can really conquer the heart
of a man. Love subdues an enemy. Love can tame wild ferocious animals.
Its power is infinite. Its depth is unfathomable. Its nature is ineffable.
Its glory is indescribable. The essence of religion is love. Therefore,
develop pure love.
Do you really want God? Do you really thirst for His Darshan? Have
you got real spiritual hunger? Only he who thirsts for the Darshan of
God will develop love. Unto him alone, He will reveal Himself. God is
a question of supply and demand. If there is a sincere demand for God,
the supply will come at once.
Develop the nine modes of Bhakti gradually. Hear the Lilas of the Lord:
this is Sravana. Sing His praise: this is Kirtana. Remember His Names:
this is Smarana. Worship His lotus-feet: this is Pada-seva. Offer flowers:
this is Archana. Prostrate yourself before Him: this is Vandana. Do
service unto Him: this is Dasya-Bhava. Make friendship with Him: this
is Sakhya-Bhava. Do total unreserved self-surrender unto Him: this is
Atma-Nivedana.
Sit not idly praying to God to help thee, but be up and doing as God
helps only those who help themselves. Do the best you can and leave
the rest to God. Serve the devotees. Remain in their company. Do Japa
and Kirtan. Study Ramayana and Bhagavata. Live in Brindavan or Ayodhya
for some time. You will soon develop devotion.
Pray fervently like Prahlada. Sing like Radha. Repeat His names as
Valmiki, Tukaram and Tulsidas did. Do Kirtan like Gauranga. Weep in
solitude like Mira for the separation from the Lord. You will have Darshan
of the Lord this very second.
Kindle the light of love in your heart. Love all. Include all creatures
in the warm embrace of your love. Cultivate Visva Prem or all-embracing,
all-inclusive cosmic love. Love is a mysterious divine glue that unites
the hearts of all. It is a divine magical healing balm of very high
potency. Charge every action with pure love. Kill cunningness, greed,
crookedness and selfishness. Immortality can be attained only by performing
acts of kindness continuously. Hatred, anger and jealousy are removed
by continuous service with loving heart. You will get more strength,
more joy, more satisfaction by doing kind acts. Practice of compassion,
charitable acts, kind services purify and soften the heart, turn the
heart-lotus upwards and prepare the aspirant for the reception of divine
light.
The Sastras are endless. There is much to be known. Time is short.
Obstacles are many. That which is essence should be grasped, just as
the swan takes the essence of milk alone from a mixture of water and
milk. That essence is love or Bhakti. Drink this essence and attain
the everlasting abode of Peace and Immortality.
Live in love. Breathe in love. Sing in love. Eat in love. Drink in
love. Walk in love. Talk in love. Pray in love. Meditate in love. Think
in love. Move in love. Write in love. Die in love. Taste the honey of
divine love and become an embodiment of love (Prema-Vigraha of Prema-Murti).
May the fire of devotion grow brighter in you all! May your heart be
filled with devotion! May you all live drowned in the ocean of love
in an illumined state! May the blessings of Bhagavatas be upon you all!
Peace be with you all!
Japa is the repetition of any Mantra or name of the Lord. In this Iron
Age, Japa is an easy way for God-realisation. Tukaram, Prahlada, Valmiki,
Dhruva and several others attained salvation by Japa alone. Sri Krishna
says in the Gita, "Yajnanam Japa-Yajnosmi". Among the
Yajnas, I am Japa Yajna (Yaga)".
There are three kinds of Japa, viz., verbal or loud Japa (Vaikhari),
semi-verbal Japa or humming (Upamsu), and mental Japa or silent
repetition through mind (Mansic). Mental Japa is more powerful.
It gives a reward ten thousand times more than the loud Japa. When the
mind wanders aimlessly take to loud Japa.
Japa must become habitual. It must be done with Sattvic or divine Bhava
or feeling, purity, Prema and Sraddha. There is an indescribable power
or Achintya Sakti in the names of God or Mantra. Every name is filled
with countless Saktis or potencies.
Practice of Japa removes the impurities of the mind, just as soap cleanses
the cloth of its impurities. Be regular in your Japa. Japa destroys
the sins and brings the devotee face to face with God.
The name of God chanted correctly or incorrectly, knowingly or unknowingly,
carefully or carelessly, with Bhava or without Bhava is sure to give
the desired fruit. The Bhava will come by itself after some time. Get
up at 4 a.m. and do the Japa for two hours. You will get the maximum
benefits.
The glory of the name of God cannot be established through reasoning
and intellect. It can certainly be experienced or realised only through
devotion, faith and constant repetition of the Name. Have reverence
and faith for the name of God. Do not argue. Devotees of Lord Hari can
repeat the Mantras 'Hari Om' or 'Om Namo Narayanaya'. Devotees of Sri
Ram can repeat 'Sri Rama', or 'Sitaram', or 'Om Sri Ram, Jaya Ram, Jaya
Jaya Ram.' Devotees of Sri Krishna can repeat 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.'
Devotees of Lord Siva can repeat 'Om Namah Sivaya.' Perform 200 Malas
of Japa daily. Wear a Mala on your neck. Mala is a whip to goad the
mind towards God.
O man! Take refuge in the Name. Name and Nami are inseparable. In this
Iron Age, Japa is the easiest, quickest, safest and surest way to reach
God and attain immortality and perennial joy. Glory to the Lord! Glory
to His Name!
Sankirtan is singing God's name with feeling (Bhava), love (Prema)
and faith (Sraddha). In Sankirtan people join together and sing God's
name collectively in a common place. Sankirtan is one of the nine modes
of Bhakti. You can realise God through Kirtan alone. This is the easiest
method for attaining God-consciousness in Kali Yuga or the Iron Age
"Kalau Kesava-Kirtanat".
When several people join together and practise Sankirtan, a huge spiritual
current or Mahasakti is generated. This purifies the heart of the aspirants
and elevates them to the sublime heights of divine ecstasy or Samadhi.
The powerful vibrations are carried to distant places. They bring elevation
of mind, solace, strength to all people and work as a harbinger of peace,
harmony and concord. They annihilate hostile forces and quickly bring
peace and bliss to the whole world.
Lord Hari says to Narada, "Naham Vasami Vaikunthe Yoginam Hridaye
na cha, Mad-Bhakta Yatra Gayanti Tatra Tishthami Narada", i.e.,
"I dwell not in Vaikuntha nor in the hearts of the Yogins, but
I dwell where my devotees sing my name, O Narada."
Kirtan destroys sins, Vasanas and Samskaras, fills the heart with Prem
and devotion and brings the devotee face to face with God.
Akhanda Kirtan is very powerful. It purifies the heart. The Mahamantra:
'Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare' or 'Om Namah Sivaya' should be sung
continuously for 3 hours or 24 hours, three days or a week, by forming
batches. One will lead and others will follow. Do Akhanda Kirtan on
Sundays or holidays. Do Prabhat-Pheri Kirtan in the morning around
the streets. Kirtan in the early morning is more effective than at night.
At night, sit before the picture of the Lord along with your children,
family-members and servants. Do Kirtan for one or two hours. Be regular
in the practice. You will derive immense peace and strength.
Sing the Lord's Name from the bottom of your heart. Be wholly and solely
devoted to Him. Delay in God-realisation is extremely painful. Merge
in Him. Live in Him. Be established in Him.
May peace and prosperity abide in you all!
At the end of Dvapara Yuga, Narada went to Brahma and said: "O
Lord! How can I cross Kali or mundane existence easily?" Brahma
replied. "Well asked. Hearken to that which all Vedas keep secret
and hidden, through which one may cross the Samsara or mundane existence.
He destroys the evil effects of Kali through the mere uttering of the
word 'Lord Narayana,' who is the primeval Purusha!"
Narada asked Brahma: "O venerable Lord! What is the name?"
Brahma replied: "The names are: Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama
Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.
These sixteen names destroy the evil effects of Kali or sins. There
is no better means than this in all the Vedas. These sixteen names destroy
the Avarana or veil of ignorance that has enveloped the Jivas or the
human beings. Then just as the sun shines fully after the clouds are
dispersed, so also, Para Brahman or Supreme Self alone shines after
the veil is removed."
Narada asked. "O Lord! What are the rules to be observed when
one utters these names?" Brahma replied:" O Rishi Narada!
There are no rules. Whoever repeats these names three and a half crores
or 35 millions in a pure or an impure state, is freed at once from all
sins. He is at once released from all bondages. He merges himself in
the Lord and attains Eternal Bliss and Immortality".
The Jiva has sixteen Kalas, corresponding to which sixteen words or
names are given in this Mahamantra. This is very good for repetition
during Akhanda Kirtan. If you repeat this Mantra 20,000 times per day
you will finish three and a half crores within 5 years. You can sing
this Mantra and can do Japa also. You can write this Mantra in a notebook
as Likhita Japa.
The names of God, chanted in any way correctly or incorrectly, knowingly
or unknowingly, carefully or carelessly, is sure to give the desired
result. The glory of the Name of God cannot be established through reasoning
and intellect. It can certainly be experienced or realised through devotion,
faith and constant repetition of the name only. The power of name is
ineffable. Its glory is indescribable. The efficacy and inherent Sakti
of the name of God is unfathomable.
May you attain God-consciousness by repetition of the names of God
as described above. May you have real taste for the names of the Lord!
Chapter
IV
Mind is a mysterious something which is really nothing but does everything.
It is born of Maya. It is a product of ignorance. It is a compound
of Vasana and Sankalpa. It is a mixture of worry and fear. It is a solution
of Ahamkara. It is a confection.
Absolute and relative Manifestations.
ATMA
or
Absolute
SPIRIT
INTUITIONAL Plane
WILL
MIND
PRANA
Relative manifestations </
