By
Sri Swami Sivananda
A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION
Eighth Edition: 1997
(6,000 Copies)
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 2001
Website: http://www.divinelifesociety.org/
This WWW reprint is for free distribution
© The Divine Life Trust Society
ISBN 81-7052-010-X
Published By
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. Shivanandanagar—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal,
Himalayas, India.
TO
STUDENTS OF YOGA
IN
THE EAST AND THE WEST
Contents
His Holiness Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati is, as it were, an ornament
of not only the glorious Himalayas and India but of the entire world.
From the cool heights of his Himalayan Ashram, "Ananda Kutir," the great
Yogi stood as a mighty dynamo radiating Divine Love, Joy and Peace to
millions upon millions of bleeding hearts all over the world, a Yogi,
who shines as a brilliant pole-star in the spiritual firmament of the
universe, guiding the tired and restless traveller towards the haven
of Peace, Bliss and Knowledge.
As a great saint and philosopher, his spotless purity, saintliness
of life, magnetic and voluminous writings were unparalleled in record;
he was not only an eminent and popular author of Hindu religious and
philosophical subjects, but is an authority on those subjects. He was
not only a man of letters and vast erudition, but also one who had in
a full measure realised the incalculable benefits of Yogic practices
in the course of a strenuous struggle of over fifteen years of intense
dispassion and rigorous austerities in the holy regions of the Himalayas.
Moreover, his priceless writings through the medium of some of the well-known
and influential newspapers, magazines and journals not only in India
but also abroad and in America coupled with his own unique and powerful
personality and realisation have won for him an enviable place of honour
in every spiritually, religiously and philosophically inclined home
in India. In fact, if the political India of the present day can be
proud of at least one Gandhi, the spiritual India can be reasonably
proud of at least one Sivananda!
The object with which this book is published is twofold. Year in and
year out large numbers of Europeans and Americans, men and women, came
out to India to learn Yoga under an Adept and practice the same in India
itself. In the course of their endless wanderings and searches for such
Adepts in Yoga, these people had no other alternative but to resort
to the Himalayan Ashram of Swami Sivananda. But unfortunately owing
to several causes these travellers could not remain long in this country.
They went back home learning something here and something there, in
bits, but nothing from one Yogi only, which alone could be said to be
of some solid and practical utility to them.
The Westerners, interested in Yogic practices, had naturally to take
resort to books and other literature on the subject, which were either
unintelligible to them or, as was more often than not, had been written
by persons whose aim in writing books was, in ninety-nine cases out
of every hundred, to show off their learning rather than to teach Yoga
and make the subject intelligible and interesting to the public. This
is the difference between books written by most writers and those by
Swami Sivananda. Moreover, unlike several others, Swami Sivananda Saraswati
was a practical Yogi, who fully realised the fruits of Yoga and was
therefore best suited to write books on the subject from his own practical
experience. The present book has been specially designed by the author
keeping in mind the needs of the students of Yoga in Europe and America,
who need a practical but non-technical presentation of the subject in
a language which is accessible to the beginner in the path. We hope
the book will amply serve this most sacred purpose in view.
May the unfailing blessings of Swami Sivananda pour forth in profusion
over the heads of all the readers in the West and East, nay, North and
South, and lead them on to Satchidananda which every one is seeking
at heart!
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
This book entitled "Practical Lessons in Yoga" consists of twelve easy
and interesting Lessons. The First Lesson deals with Yoga and Its Objects.
The Second Lesson treats of Yoga Sadhana or the practice of Yoga and
contains a clear and lucid description of the four important paths viz.,
Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. One can easily choose
for himself a path according to his particular taste, temperament and
capacity by a close study of this Lesson. I firmly hold that no one
wishing to become a perfect Yogi can realise his wish, if he does not
begin his Yogic practices with Karma Yoga or doing actions for actions'
sake, without the idea of agency and without expectation of the fruits
of his actions. I have also made passing references to the various other
forms of Yoga such as Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Kundalini Yoga.
In the Third Lesson on Yogic Discipline I have clearly and expressly
stated that the practice of Yoga is rooted in the cultivation of virtues
and the eradication of negative qualities, and have also stated in detail
what virtues should of necessity be cultivated and what vices are to
be eradicated, and through what means.
Yogic Diet forms the subject-matter of the Fourth Lesson. It should
be distinctly borne in mind that mind is made up of the fine particles
of food that we take, and we are what we eat. If the student of Yoga
who is a neophyte desires to lay a firm, sure and sound foundation in
his practices, he should take care to eat only such foods that are conducive
to his spiritual advancement and progress, and avoid all others. A list
of the various articles of diet, prescribed and prohibited, is also
given.
In the Fifth Lesson I have taken all care to collect the various stumbling
blocks in the way of the aspirant and the various means of overcoming
them. I strongly advise the student to read and re-read this Lesson
a number of times in order that he may be cautious in moments of temptation.
Then in the Sixth Lesson I have dealt with Yogasanas or Yogic postures.
It is very necessary for the would-be Yogi to maintain a sound and vigorous
body and mind to achieve success in his undertaking, and in order that
he might achieve this end, a number of simple and easy exercises, physical
and consequently mental, have been prescribed. These exercises were
practiced by Yogins and Rishis of yore and are still being practiced
in India and other countries with astonishing results.
The Seventh Lesson treats of Pranayama or regulation of breath. Simple
and practical exercises have been prescribed for the regulation and
control of breath. which will ultimately result in the control of the
mind. These exercises in breath-control are not merely for enhancing
the soundness and control of the mind, but they also play a vital part
in ensuring a sound body. The student of Pranayama who attains perfection
in it will have various psychic powers.
Regulation of breath and control of mind lead to concentration. So
concentration is the topic of the next lesson. I have dealt at length
with the nature of the mind and the methods through which it can he
controlled. Some practical exercises are given to attain success in
concentration.
The Ninth Lesson deals with Meditation because the fruit of concentration
is meditation. A number of easy and interesting exercises have been
described. The fruit of meditation is Samadhi and this forms the subject-matter
of the next lesson. Samadhi is superconscious state, wherein the Yogi
gets superintuitional or supersensual knowledge and supersensual bliss.
In Samadhi the Yogi communes with the Lord and enjoys Absolute Independence.
He has reached the Goal now.
In the Eleventh Lesson I have dealt with the Serpentine Power or the
mighty pristine Force underlying all organic and inorganic matter. This
Force is in a dormant state and is sleeping a sleep-trance in almost
all persons in the basal Muladhara Chakra. When this sleeping Force
is roused to action, it pierces through the various centres of spiritual
energy in the human body and reaches the crown of the head or the Sahasrara
Chakra where She is united with Her Consort, Lord Siva. That Yogi who
has taken the sleeping Kundalini to the Sahasrara Chakra and united
Her with Lord Siva alone has attained the Goal, not others. The process
by which this sleeping Power can be roused to action and taken to the
top of the head has also been described with beautiful illustrations.
The Yogi who has succeeded in achieving this union becomes the Lord
of all powers and knowledge.
In the last Lesson on Spiritual Vibrations and Aura I have stated what
vibration and aura mean and various means of producing vibrations of
love, joy, peace, mercy sympathy and purity, and developing the spiritual
aura. I have also stated in brief that the human aura has various colours
according to the growth and development of a person physically, mentally,
morally and spiritually, and that each colour has got its own significance
and meaning. The would-be Yogi should dispel all other colours and develop
the particular spiritual aura, the colour of which is yellow.
At the end of the book an Appendix has been added and a Glossary of
Sanskrit terms given. In Appendix I a daily routine for aspirants has
been chalked out, one for the beginner, another for the intermediate
student and a third for the advanced Yogi. I believe that if a similar
routine chalked out according to one's own necessity and convenience
is followed regularly and systematically, nothing would stand in the
way of the aspiring Yogi to achieve success in Yoga. Moreover, he should
also maintain a Spiritual Diary similar to the one given in the Appendix
realising the importance and benefits of such a discipline. In Appendix
II an interesting article on Yoga and Science has also been added in
the belief that it would be read with considerable interest.
I appeal to the students of Yoga in the East and the West to start
doing some spiritual and Yogic practice in right earnest after digesting
and assimilating the truths and ideals inculcated herein and I hope
they would be immensely benefited by this book.
Sivananda
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 Destroyer of the cycle of births
and deaths! Salutations unto Thee, O Bestower of Bliss and immortality!
O sweet Lord! May I be free from the bonds of Death. May I never again
forget my immortal nature. May I be able to look upon all with equal
vision. May I attain the Supreme Seat of Brahman. May I be free from
impurity and sin. May I know my real essential nature.
Adorations to the Supreme Being who dwells in the hearts of all beings,
who is in the fire and water who is in the plants, herbs and trees,
who is in the stones, bricks and iron-bars and who has pervaded the
whole universe.
I bow to Thee, O Secret of secrets! I bow to Thee, O Indweller of our
hearts! I bow to Thee, O Silent Witness of all activities of all minds!
I bow to Thee, O Inner Ruler of all beings! I bow to Thee, O Thread-Soul
who connects all beings, who pervades and permeates and interpenetrates
all things of this universe!
Salutations to Thee, the Supreme Lord. Thou art without beginning and
end. Thou art the flower; Thou art the bee; Thou art woman; Thou art
man; Thou art the sea; Thou art the waves; Thou art the old man tottering
with a stick; Thou art the saint; and Thou art the rogue.
Thou art Light Divine. Thou art Light of Knowledge. Thou art the Dispeller
of darkness. Thou art the Supreme Guru. Thou art beyond the reach of
mind and speech. Thou art beyond any kind of limitation. Thou art the
Oversoul. Thou art the Self of this universe.
Thou art Self-luminous. Thou art without parts, without actions, without
limbs, without any taint of fault, without birth and death. Thou art
our Father, Mother, Brother, Friend, Guru, Relative and sole Refuge.
Thou art the embodiment of Peace, Bliss, Knowledge, Power, Strength
and Beauty.
O All-merciful Lord! Through Thy Grace, may I realise Truth. May I
always entertain sublime thoughts. May I realise myself as the Light
Divine. May I behold the one sweet immortal Self in all beings. May
I realise Brahman with pure understanding.
May that Light of lights ever guide me. May He cleanse my mind of all
impurities. May He inspire me. May He bestow on me Power, Courage and
Strength. May He remove the veil in the mind. May He remove all obstacles
in the Spiritual Path. May He make my life happy and fruitful. I bow
to Thee O Lord of lords, O God of gods, O Deva of devas, O Brahman of
the Upanishads, the Support for Maya and Isvara, the Supreme Bridge
to Immortality!
Om Peace! Peace! Peace!
The Religion of the Vedanta and Yoga stands forth as a brilliant guiding
star to the student of Yoga Philosophy and Occultism, inviting him to
the mysterious unknown world, which he would gladly explore, and encouraging
him to march onward until he reaches a stage, when all powers dear to
every human heart lie at his command, and all earthly attractions cease
to influence him any more. It is a truism that it is in the nature of
every human being to strive for happiness, but the happiness he gains
by his actions, he finds to his utter dissatisfaction and sorrow, is
only of a limited duration. The enjoyments of the senses are transient,
and the senses themselves are worn out by excessive enjoyment. Further
sin generally accompanies these enjoyments and makes him unhappy beyond
comparison. Even if the pleasures of the world are enjoyed as much as
their nature would permit, even if they are as intense, as various,
as uninterrupted as possible, yet old age in all its hideous shape threatens
him with death and destruction. It should be remembered that the enjoyments
of heaven itself are not in reality more enviable than these pleasures
of the senses; they are of the same nature though more unmixed and durable.
Moreover they also come to an end as they are gained by actions; and
as actions are finite their effect must also be finite. In a word, there
is necessarily an end to all these enjoyments.
O little man of little faith! Why do you vainly strive for pleasures,
which you know cannot satisfy you beyond the moment of enjoyment? Look
out for an unchangeable, infinite and supreme happiness which must come
from a Being in whom there is no change. Search and find out such a
Being, and if you could only succeed in your quest, then you can get
that unaltered happiness from Him.
All the great religions of the world proclaim in one unanimous voice
that there is One Being as mentioned above. This Being, believe me,
is not very far from you. He is quite close to you. He resides in the
body-temple of yours, in the innermost recesses of your heart. He is
the silent Witness of your mind, the Watcher of all the activities of
your intellect. He is the Supreme Being of the Scriptures so highly
eulogised by Saints, Sages, Yogins, Philosophers and Prophets. This
Being can be realised by all through the practice of Yoga.
It is a well-known fact that any number of zeros have no intrinsic
value unless the No. 1 is placed before them. Even so the wealth of
all the three worlds is nothing, if you do not lead a spiritual life,
if you do not try to acquire the Spiritual Wealth, if you do not strive
for Self-realisation. You will have to live in the Soul or the Self
within. You will have to add Atman to the life here. That is the reason
why Lord Jesus says: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added unto you."
Every one of you is a power in yourself. You can influence others.
You can radiate Joy and Peace to millions upon millions of people far
and near. You can elevate others even from a long distance. You can
transmit your powerful, soul-stirring, beneficial thoughts to others,
because you are an image of God, nay, you are God Himself the moment
the veil of ignorance enshrouding you is rent asunder.
This world is a great school. This world is for your education. You
learn several valuable lessons daily. If you are wise enough to utilise
all opportunities to the best possible advantage in the spirit of Yoga,
your capacities and will-power will develop to an astonishing degree.
You will grow. You will evolve. You will expand. There will be integral
development. You will march forward towards the goal. All veils will
drop down one by one. All limitations or barriers will be annihilated.
All shackles or fetters will be torn asunder. You will receive more
and more Divine Light Knowledge, Purity, Peace and Spiritual Strength.
You are the author of your own fate. You yourself have created this.
You yourself are entirely responsible for this. You are the architect
of your joys and sorrows. Just as the spider or the silkworm creates
a web or cocoon for its own destruction, so also you have created this
cage of flesh by your own actions, attractions, repulsions and false
egoism. You have become the slave of the flesh, slave of your body and
mind, slave of countless desires. You are sunk in the quagmire of deepest
ignorance.
Weep not, my child! Sorrow not! A glorious brilliant future is awaiting
you! Strive to come out of this false cage of illusion right now, this
very second. If your attempt is true and sincere, if you endeavour with
all your might and main to achieve this end, then by the ready Grace
of the Lord thou shalt drive away these dark clouds of ignorance and
shine in your true divine colours, in your native, pristine glory.
Cast aside the erroneous idea: "I am the body." Develop the consciousness
and realisation of the real "I" within you. This real "I" is Sat-Chit-Ananda
or Atman or the Self, the one common Consciousness, the spiritual thread
that links all hearts.
Awaken yourself to the conscious realisation of your actual oneness
with the Supreme Self. Think of the Self continuously. As Tennyson says:
"Let thy voice rise like a fountain for me night and day." This is the
real spiritual practice (Brahma-abhyasa). This will eventually lead
to Self-realisation. Let the struggle be keen. Let your endeavour be
sincere. Let your motive be pure. There must be iron discipline, iron
determination, iron will and iron Sadhana (spiritual practice). Then
there will be no difficulty in the attainment of the final beatitude
of life-a life sublime in its nature, resplendent with spiritual light,
radiant with splendour, vibrant with ecstasy and replete with Peace.
Mere intellectual conception of this identity or oneness will not serve
your purpose. You must actually feel and experience the truth of the
same through intuition. You must become fully aware of the Real Self,
the basis or substratum or bed-rock of this world, body, mind, Prana
and the senses. You must enter into a consciousness in which the realisation
becomes part and parcel of your daily life. You must live this ideal
spiritual life daily. Let your neighbours actually feel how entirely
a changed being you are-a superman. Let them smell the Divine Fragrance
from you. A full-blown Yogi can never be concealed. Just as fragrant
fumes emanate from scented sticks so also sweet spiritual fragrance
will emanate from your body, the moment you attain perfection in Yoga,
even though you may shut yourself up in a cave of the far-off Himalayas.
A Yoga-Bhrashta (one who had fallen from Yogic practices), who did
rigorous spiritual Sadhana in his previous birth, but was unable to
get Self-realisation on account of some cause or other, gets Self-realisation
in this birth like a flash of lightning in the twinkling of an eye.
He is a born adept. He does no spiritual practice. He has no spiritual
preceptor (Guru). He had his initiation in his previous birth. Ashtavakra
and Rishi Vamadeva, the two Yoga-Bhrashtas of yore, attained Knowledge
of the Self even while they were in the wombs of their mothers. Jnanadeva
of Alandi (a place near Poona, India), author of Jnanesvari-Gita, was
a born adept. He exhibited several Siddhis (psychic powers) even when
he was a small boy. He touched a buffalo and the buffalo repeated the
Vedas. He created fire on his own back and his sister baked bread over
it. But such instances are very rare. The vast majority of people should
do intense Sadhana before they attain Self-realisation.
The Hindu Sastras assert with astonishing emphasis: "This world of
names and forms is unreal; God alone is Real." The objects a man of
the world considers precious a Yogi shuns as worthless. This world with
all its variegated pleasures, its pains, its joys, its sorrows, its
rivers, mountains, sky, sun, moon, and the stars; with its dukes and
beggars exists only in order that the fragments of the one Self embodied
in so many forms may regain their lost Divine Consciousness and realise
the true pristine glory and manifest the powers of the Self through
the matter that envelops them.
There is no such thing as inanimate matter. There is life in every
thing. Life is involved in a piece of stone. Matter is vibrant with
life. This has been conclusively proved by modern science. Smile with
the flowers and the green grass. Play with the butterflies and the cobras.
Shake hands with the shrubs, ferns and twigs. Talk to the rainbow, wind,
stars and sun. Converse with the running brooks and the turbulent waves
of the sea. Keep company with your walking stick and enjoy its sweet
company. Develop friendship with all your neighbours, dogs, cats, cows,
human beings, trees, in fact, with all nature's creation. Then you will
have a wide, perfect, rich, full life. Then you will realise God. Then
you will achieve success in Yoga. This state can hardly be described
in finite words. It should be felt and experienced by you by unfolding
the divinity within.
This remarkable unfolding from the stone to the God goes on through
millions of years, through aeons of time. But in the individual this
unfolding takes place more rapidly and quickly with all the force of
its past behind it. These forces that manifest and unveil themselves
in evolution are cumulative in their power. Embodied in the stone, in
the mineral world, they grow and put out a little more strength, and
in the mineral world accomplish their unfolding. Then they become too
strong for the mineral and press on into the vegetable world. There
they unfold more and more of their divinity, until they become too mighty
for the vegetable, and become animal. Expanding within and gaining experiences
from the animal, they again overflow the limits of the animal and appear
as the human. In the human being they still grow and accumulate with
ever-increasing force, and exert greater pressure against the barrier,
and then out of the human, they press into the superhuman. This last
process of evolution is called Yoga." Therefore Yoga, when it is definitely
begun, is not something new, as is often imagined.
If you begin to view Yoga in this light, then this Yoga which looked
so foreign and so strange, will appear to wear a familiar face, and
come to you in a garb not altogether strange. It will not look so strange
that from the man you should pass on to superman, from mortality to
immortality, and enter a region where divinity becomes more manifest.
When you begin to learn that there is one Self in all these names and
forms, that He is the same in a king or a peasant, in a bird or a beast,
in a man or a woman, in a stone or a piece of wood, that all powers
seen throughout the world are latent in "inorganic" substances also,
that this Self is the same at all times, and that there is no increase
or diminution in the Self, then Yoga will become possible of achievement.
In fact you have practised Yoga, consciously or unconsciously, in your
previous births, and this is a vital point that should not be lost sight
of. All that you have now to do is to give a powerful momentum to quicken
the process of unfolding the divinity and attain the Highest Goal of
Life-Perfection, Peace, Joy, Immortality and Happiness.
In this book I have given definite lines for attaining true success
in Yoga. You can also attain happiness, popularity, name, fame, power,
wealth, social distinction and all-round smashing success in all your
undertakings to an extent that would surprise not only your own self
but all others with whom you come in contact. This volume contains the
boiled down essence of years of extensive research and personal experience.
I assure you that you will be able to fully realise the benefits of
Yogic practices by the help of this one book alone. Not a moment should
be delayed. You are growing older and older hour by hour. Three things
rare indeed and due to the Grace of God are: a human birth, the longing
for Liberation and the protecting care of a perfected Sage. The man
who, having by some means obtained a human birth, with a male body and
mastery of the scriptures to boot, is foolish enough not to exert for
Self-realisation verily commits suicide, for he kills himself by clinging
to things unreal. Let me sound a note of warning here: You may not get
again this rare human birth. Make hay while the sun shines. Go to the
Fountain-head of God and drink deep the Nectar of Immortality. May the
Lord Krishna, the Lord of the Yogins, the Great Master, shower His choicest
blessings upon you all and give you a nice push in the Path of Spirituality
is my fervent prayer!
Lesson I
Yoga Philosophy is one of the six systems of Hindu Philosophy which
exist in India. Unlike so many other philosophies of the world, it is
a philosophy that is wholly practical. Yoga is an exact science based
on certain immutable Laws of Nature. It is well known to people of all
countries of the world interested in the study of Eastern civilisation
and culture, and is held in awe and reverence as it contains in it the
master-key to unlock the realms of Peace, Bliss, Mystery and Miracle.
Even the philosophers of the West found solace and peace in this Divine
Science. Jesus Christ himself was a Yogi of a superior order, a Raja-Yogi
indeed. The founder of the Yoga Philosophy was Patanjali Maharshi, who
was not only a Philosopher and a Yogi, but a Physician as well. He is
said to have lived about three hundred years before Jesus Christ.
Patanjali defines Yoga as the suspension of all the functions of the
mind. As such, any book on Yoga, which does not deal with these three
aspects of the subject, viz., mind, its functions and the method of
suspending them, can he safely laid aside as unreliable and incomplete.
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root "Yuj" which means "to join."
Yoga is a science that teaches us the method of joining the individual
soul and the Supreme Soul. It is the merging of the individual will
with the Cosmic or Universal Will. Yoga is that inhibition of the functions
of the mind which leads to the absolute abidance of the soul in its
own real nature of Divine Glory and Divine Splendour. It is the process
by which the identity of the individual soul and the Oversoul is established
by the Yogi. In other words, the human soul is brought into conscious
communion with God. Yoga is the Science of sciences that disentangles
the individual soul from the phenomenal world of sense-objects and links
with the Absolute, whose inherent attributes are Infinite Bliss, Supreme
Peace, Infinite Knowledge and unbroken Joy.
Yoga is that state of Absolute Peace wherein there is neither imagination
nor thought. Yoga is control of mind and its modifications. Yoga teaches
us how to control the modifications of the mind and attain liberation.
It teaches us how to transmute the unregenerate nature and attain the
state of Divinity. It is the complete suppression of the tendency of
the mind to transform itself into objects, thoughts, etc. Yoga kills
all sorts of pain, misery and tribulation. It gives you freedom from
the round of births and deaths, with its concomitant evils of disease,
old age, etc., and bestows upon you all the Divine Powers and final
liberation through super-intutional knowledge.
The word Yoga is also applicable in its secondary sense to the factors
of Yoga, viz., self-training, study, the different actions and practices
that go to make up Yoga as they are conducive to the fulfilment of Yoga
and as such indirectly lead to emancipation. Union with God is the goal
of human life and that ought to become the touchstone of all human endeavours.
That is the be-all and end-all of existence.
Equanimity is Yoga. Serenity is Yoga. Skill in actions is Yoga. Control
of the senses and the mind is Yoga. Anything by which the best and the
highest in life can be attained is also Yoga. Yoga is thus all-embracing,
all-inclusive and universal in its application leading to all-round
development of body, mind and soul.
The object of Yoga is to weaken what are called the five afflictions.
The five afflictions are: Ignorance, Egoism, Likes, Dislikes and the
instinct of self-preservation (or clinging to bodily life). Ignorance
is the fertile soil which bears an abundant crop of the rest. On account
of ignorance only egoism has manifested. Wherever there is egoism, there
invariably exist likes, dislikes and the rest side by side. Clinging
to bodily life or fear of death is born of likes only. It is nothing
but attachment.
Egoism is a specific form of ignorance. The mind gets itself attached
wherever there is pleasure. If the mind likes pomegranate, it gets itself
attached to this fruit, as it derives pleasure from eating it. The mind
runs after things that have been associated with agreeable experiences
in the past. This is attachment (like). The mind runs away from objects
which have caused pain. This is dislike. These are all the faults of
man himself. The world can never hurt you. The five elements are your
best teachers. They help you in a variety of ways. The things created
by the Lord are all beneficial. It is only the creation of man that
brings pain and misery. These five afflictions bind you to the outside
objects and reduce you to piteous slavery. These afflictions remain
as tendencies even when they are inoperative. These afflictions and
tendencies can be attenuated by Yogic discipline.
On account of ignorance you have forgotten your primitive Divine Glory.
On account of this evil you are not able to remember your old status
of Godhood, your original immortal, blissful, divine nature. Ignorance
is the root cause of egoism, likes, dislikes and the rest. These five
afflictions are great impediments to Yoga. They stand as stumbling-blocks
to the attainment of Self-realisation.
These five afflictions remain in a dormant, attenuated, overpowered
or fully developed state. When the husband begins to quarrel with the
wife, his love for her becomes dormant and he shows dislike for her
for the time being. In a Yogic student these afflictions become thinned
out or attenuated by the spiritual force of his Yogic practices. But
they do exist in a subtle state. They cannot do any havoc. They are
like the cobra whose poisonous fangs have been extracted by the snake-charmer.
The "overpowered state" is that state in which one set of impressions
is kept under restraint for some time by another powerful set of impressions;
but they manifest again, when the cause of the suppression is removed.
In a worldly man with passions and appetites these can be seen operating
in fullest swing. But in a fully developed or full-blown Yogi these
afflictions and impressions are burnt in toto.
Owing to ignorance you have mistaken the physical body for the Self
and this is all the mistake you have committed. But it is a serious
mistake indeed. By changing your mental outlook, by purifying your heart
and intellect, you can attain Knowledge of Self. Mind, Prana, body and
the senses are all instruments only. The real Seer is the Self who is
pure, unchanging, eternal, self-luminous, self-existent, self-contained,
infinite and immortal. When you begin to identify yourself with this
immortal, all-pervading Self, all miseries will come to an end.
Likes and dislikes are the causes for doing good and evil deeds. Good
and evil deeds bring pleasure and pain. Thus the round of births and
deaths is kept from time immemorial by the six-spoked wheel of Likes,
Dislikes, Virtue, Vice, Pleasure and Pain.
The Yogic student should first try to weaken these five afflictions.
Three practices are prescribed for this purpose. They are: Austerity
(Tapas), Study of Scriptures (Svadhyaya) and Resignation to the Will
of the Lord (Isvara-pranidhana). The practitioner should have intense
faith in the efficacy of his practices. Then the energy to carry on
with the practices will manifest by itself. Then the real memory will
dawn. When there is memory, then there is no difficulty in practicing
concentration. If there is concentration, discrimination will dawn.
That is the reason why Patanjali says: "Samadhi will come through faith,
energy, memory, concentration and discrimination."
Therefore, to get success in concentration, meditation and the practice
of Yoga, you must have tremendous patience, tremendous will and tremendous
perseverance. Plunge yourself in concentration. Merge the mind in the
one idea of God and God alone. Let the mind fully get absorbed there.
Forget other things. Let the whole body, muscles, tissues, nerves, cells
and brain be filled with the one idea of God. This is the way to positive
success. Great sages and saints of yore have practiced Yoga in this
way only. Work hard. You will reach the goal. You will also become a
great saint. Whatever one has achieved can be achieved by others also.
This is the Law.
Lesson II
Sadhana means any spiritual practice that aids the aspirant to realise
God. It is a means to attain the goal of life. Without Sadhana no one
can achieve the goal. Sadhana differs according to taste, temperament
and capacity.
You can realise the goal of life by four different paths. Just as one
and the same coat will not suit Mr. John, Mr. Smith, Mr. Dick and Mr.
Williams, so also one path will not suit all people. These four paths
lead to the same goal, viz., the attainment of the Ultimate Reality.
Roads are different but the destination is the same. Lord Krishna says
to Arjuna: "Howsoever men approach Me, even so do I reward them, for,
the path men take from every side, is Mine, O Partha." The four paths
are: the path of work (Karma-Yoga), the path of devotion or love (Bhakti-Yoga),
the path of psychic control (Raja-Yoga) and the path of self-analysis
and knowledge (Jnana-Yoga).
These divisions are not hard and fast. There is no line of demarcation
between one another. One path does not exclude the other. For instance
Karma-Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament; Bhakti-Yoga
for a man of emotional temperament; Raja-Yoga for a man of mystic temperament;
and the path of Jnana-Yoga or Vedanta for a man of will or reason. Each
path blends into the other. Ultimately they all converge and become
one. Thus it is hard to say where Raja-Yoga ends and Jnana-Yoga begins.
All aspirants of different paths meet on a common platform in the long
run.
Religion must educate and develop the whole man-his head, heart and
hand. Then only there will be perfection. One-sided development is not
commendable. The four paths, far from being antagonistic to one another,
indicate that the different methods of the Yoga System are in absolute
harmony with each other. Karma-Yoga leads to Bhakti-Yoga which in its
turn leads to Raja-Yoga. Raja-Yoga brings Jnana. Supreme devotion is
Jnana only. Bhakti, it should be borne in mind, is not divorced from
Jnana. On the contrary, Jnana intensifies Bhakti. Karma-Yoga removes
the tossing of mind, Raja-Yoga steadies the mind and Jnana-Yoga removes
the veil of ignorance and brings in the Knowledge of Self. Every Yoga
is a fulfilment of the preceding one. Thus Bhakti is the fulfilment
of Karma, Yoga of Bhakti, and Jnana of all the preceding three.
The practice of Karma-Yoga prepares the aspirant for the reception
of knowledge of Self. It moulds him into a proper Adhikari (aspirant)
for the study of Vedanta. Ignorant people jump at once to Jnana-Yoga
without having any preliminary training in Karma-Yoga. That is the reason
why they fail miserably to realise Truth. The impurities still lurk
in their minds. The mind is filled with likes and dislikes. They only
talk of Brahman or God. They indulge in all sorts of useless
discussions vain debates and dry, endless controversies. Their philosophy
is on their lips only. In other words, they are lip-Vedantins. What
is really wanted is practical Vedanta through ceaseless selfless
service.
Those who follow the path of Karma-Yoga should do work for work's sake,
without any motive. Two things are indispensable requisite in the practice
of Karma-Yoga. A Karma-Yogi should have extreme non-attachment for the
fruits of his works and secondly he should dedicate all his actions
at the Altar of God with the feeling of Isvararpana (self-surrender).
Non-attachment brings freedom and immortality. Attachment is death.
Non-attachment is eternal life. Non-attachment makes a man absolutely
fearless. When you thus consecrate all your actions to the Lord, you
will naturally develop devotion towards Him, and the greater the devotion
the nearer you are to the Lord. You will slowly begin to feel that God
directly works through your body and senses. You will feel no strain
in the discharge of your works now. The heavy load you felt previously
on account of your false egoism, has now vanished out of sight, never
to return.
The doctrine of Karma-Yoga (for detailed particulars vide my book Practice
of Karma-Yoga.) forms an integral part of Vedanta. It expounds the
riddle of life and the riddle of the universe. It brings solace, satisfaction
and happiness to one and all. It is a self-evident truth. Fortunately
even the Westerners have begun to acknowledge its importance and veracity.
They have no other go. Every sensible man or woman will have to accept
it. "As you sow, so you reap" holds good not only on the physical plane
but in the moral world as well. Every thought and every deed of yours
generate in you certain tendencies which will affect your life and hereafter.
If you do good actions in a selfless spirit, you will naturally soar
high to regions of bliss and peace. Karma-Yoga is the lowest rung in
the Spiritual Ladder; but it lifts us up to ineffable heights. It destroys
pride, selfishness and egoism. It helps growth and evolution.
Every work is a mixture of good and evil. This world of ours is a relative
plane. You must therefore strive to do such actions that can bring maximum
of good and minimum of evil. If you know the secret of work, the technique
of Karma-Yoga, you will be absolutely free from the taint of Karma.
That secret is to work without attachment and egoism. The central teaching
of the Bhagavad-Gita and the Yoga-Vasishtha is non-attachment to work.
Lord Krishna says to Arjuna: "O Arjuna, work incessantly. Your duty
is to work always. But do not expect fruits. The lot of that man who
expects fruits is pitiable. He is the most miserable man in the world."
Generally people have various motives when they work. Some work in
society for getting name and fame, some for money, some for getting
power and position, and some others for getting enjoyments in heaven.
Some build temples and churches with the idea that their sins will be
washed off. Some perform sacrifices for getting children. Some sink
wells and tanks so that their names will be remembered even after their
death. Some lay out gardens and public parks with the idea that they
will enjoy such lovely parks and gardens in heaven. Some do acts of
charity with the idea that they will be born in the house of a Henry
Ford or a Rockefeller in their next birth.
The greatest service that one can render to another is the imparting
of Knowledge of Self. Spiritual help is the highest of all. The root
cause for all suffering is ignorance (Avidya) only. Cut the knot of
Avidya and drink the sweet Nirvanic Bliss. That sage who tries to remove
the ignorance of men is the greatest benefactor in the world. If you
remove the hunger of man, it is after all a temporary physical help.
It is removal of physical want for three or four hours. Then again the
hunger manifests. The man remains in the same miserable state. Thus
it is safe to conclude that building of hospitals, poor-houses, dharmasalas
or choultries for distribution of free food, clothes, etc. is not the
highest kind of help, though they are absolutely necessary. I say this
is not the highest kind of help, because I ask: How long can these last?
Miseries have to be eradicated once and forever. The world will remain
in the same miserable state even if you build millions of hospitals
and feeding-places. There is something that can put an end to all these
miseries, sufferings, worries and anxieties, and that something is Knowledge
of Self.
Bhakti-Yoga (for detailed particulars vide my book Practice of Bhakti-Yoga.)
is the path of devotion or the path of affection that is suitable for
people of devotional temperament or in whom the love-element predominates.
Ladies are fit for this path, for affection predominates in them. Generally
there is an admixture of devotional and intellectual temperaments in
all persons. Hence Bhakti-Yoga is suitable for the vast majority of
persons. In Bhakti-Yoga the devotee makes absolute and unreserved self-surrender.
He depends upon the Lord for everything. He is extremely humble and
meek. He develops devotion to the Lord gradually to a very high degree
by repeating the Name of the Lord, studying the Holy Scriptures and
practicing the nine modes of devotion. Hearing the Name of the Lord,
singing His praises, remembering His presence, serving His Lotus-Feet,
worshipping Him, bowing before Him, attending on Him, loving Him as
a Friend and surrendering of the self entirely to Him are the nine modes
of devotion. The devotee will observe austerities, pray frequently to
Him and offer mental worship to Him. He will serve his fellow-men realising
that the Lord dwells in the hearts of all. This is the Sadhana for those
who wish to tread the path of Yoga of devotion.
Sri Sankara, the great Advaita Jnani, was a great Bhakta of Lord Hari,
Hara and Devi. Jnanadeva of Alandi, a great Yogi of late, was a Bhakta
of Lord Krishna. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa worshipped Kali and got Jnana
through Swami Totapuri, his Advaita Guru. Appayya Dikshitacharya, a
famous Jnani of South India, author of "Siddhanta Lesha" and other monumental
works on Vedanta, was a devotee of Lord Siva.
It behoves, therefore, that Bhakti can be combined with much advantage
with Jnana. Bhakti is a means to an end. It gives purity of mind and
removes mental oscillation (Vikshepa). Sakama Bhakti (devotion with
expectation) brings Svarga for the devotee, while Nishkama Bhakti (devotion
without expectation) brings purity of mind and Jnana.
A life without love of God is practical death. There is no power greater
than love. You can win the hearts of others through love alone. You
can conquer your enemies through love alone. You can tame wild animals
through love alone. The glory of love is ineffable. Its splendour is
indescribable. The power of love is unfathomable.
True religion does not consist in ritualistic observances, baths and
pilgrimages but in loving all. Cosmic Love is all-embracing and all-inclusive.
In the presence of pure love all distinctions and differences, all hatred,
jealousy and egoism are dispelled just as darkness is dispelled by the
penetrating rays of the morning sun. There is no religion higher than
Love. There is no knowledge higher than Love. There is no treasure higher
than Love, because Love is Truth, Love is God. This world came out of
Love; it exists in Love and it will ultimately dissolve in Love. A heart
without love is a desert without water. God is an ocean of Love. In
every corner of His creation, you can see ample evidence of His unbounded
Love for His children.
It is all so easy to talk of Universal Love, but when you come to the
practical field, you manifestly show signs of failure. If Mr. John speaks
ill of you and uses harsh words, you are thrown out of balance instantaneously.
You get irritated, show your angry face and pay him in the same coin.
You do not like to part with your possessions, when you see people in
distress. A man who is struggling to develop Cosmic Love and realise
Him through Love cannot keep anything for himself more than he actually
needs for keeping his life going peacefully. He will willingly sacrifice
even this little to serve a needy person and undergo starvation with
much pleasure. He will rejoice that the Lord has given him a wonderful
opportunity to serve Him. People generally talk of Universal
Love but are very niggardly in action. They show lip-sympathy
and lip-love in mere words. This is nothing short of hypocrisy.
Those who talk of Universal Love should endeavour to develop various
good qualities. They should serve humanity untiringly day and night
with disinterested, selfless spirit for many years. They must be prepared
to bear calmly insults and injuries. Then only there is a prospect of
developing Cosmic Love. Otherwise it is all vain, flowery talk and idle-gossiping
only.
The saints, seers and prophets of the world have spoken of Love as
the end and aim of life. Lord Krishna has preached Love through His
flute. Lord Buddha was an ocean of Love. He gave up His body to appease
the hunger of a tiger's cub. Raja Sibi gave flesh equal to the weight
of a pigeon from his own breast to satisfy the appetite of a hawk. Lord
Rama lived a life of Love and showed Love in every inch of His activity.
Lord Jesus also preached and practiced Love in the fullest measure.
O dear children of Love! Draw inspiration from their teachings and
tread the path of Love. Remember Him. Feel His indwelling presence everywhere.
See Him in all faces, in all objects, in all movements, in all feelings,
in all sentiments, in all actions. Meditate upon His form with single-minded
devotion. Become a peerless devotee of the Lord in this very life, nay
in this very second.
The student treading the path of Raja-Yoga (for detailed particulars
vide my book Raja-Yoga.) has to ascend the Spiritual Ladder step
by step, stage by stage. There are eight limbs in Raja-Yoga, viz., Yama,
Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. By
practicing Yama and Niyama at the outset the student gets ethical training
and purification of mind. By developing friendship, mercy and complacency,
he destroys hatred, jealousy and harshness of heart and thereby gets
peace of mind. By practicing Asana he steadies his posture and gets
complete control and mastery over his body. Then he practices Pranayama
to remove the tossing of mind and destroy Rajas (passion) and Tamas
(inertia). His body becomes light and elastic. By practicing Pratyahara
(withdrawal of the Indriyas or senses from sensual objects) he gets
strength and peace of mind. Now he is fit for concentration which comes
of itself. He practices meditation and enters into Samadhi. By the combined
practice of concentration, meditation and Samadhi (Yogic Samyama), he
gets various Siddhis (powers). By concentration on the senses, egoism,
mind, etc., he gets various other powers and experiences. He now sees
without eyes, tastes without tongue, hears without ears, smells without
a nose and feels without a skin. He can work miracles. He simply wills
and everything comes into being.
Those who follow the path of Jnana-Yoga or Vedanta (for detailed particulars
vide my book Vedanta in Daily Life.) should first acquire the
four means of salvation, viz., Viveka, Vairagya, Shat-Sampatti and Mumukshutva.
Viveka is discrimination between the Real and the unreal. Vairagya is
indifference or dispassion for sensual objects herein and hereafter.
Shat-Sampatti is the sixfold virtue, viz., Sama, (calmness of mind),
Dama (restraint of the senses), Uparati (satiety), Titiksha (power of
endurance), Sraddha (faith) and Samadhana (one-pointedness of mind).
Mumukshutva is intense longing for liberation. Then they should approach
a Brahma-Nishtha Guru (one who is established in Brahman or God), who
has fully realised the Supreme Self and hear the Scriptures directly
from his mouth. Then they should reflect and meditate on what they heard
and attain Self-realisation. Now the Jnani exclaims in exuberant joy:
"The Atman alone is, One without a second. Atman or the Self is the
one Reality. I am Brahman (Aham Brahma Asmi). I am Siva (Sivoham). I
am He (Sivoham)." He, the liberated soul, sees the Self in all beings
and all beings in the Self.
There are also three other forms of Yoga in addition to the four mentioned
above. These are: Hatha-Yoga, Mantra-Yoga and Laya-Yoga or Kundalini-Yoga.
Hatha-Yoga relates to the physical body, Asanas, Bandhas, Mudras, Pranayama,
vow of silence, steady-gazing, crystal-gazing, standing on one leg,
etc. Hatha-Yoga is not separate from Raja-Yoga. It prepares the student
to take up Raja-Yoga. Hatha-Yoga and Raja-Yoga are, therefore, the necessary
counterparts of each other. No one can become a Yogi of a perfect order
without a clear knowledge of the practice of the two Yogas. Raja-Yoga
begins where properly practiced Hatha-Yoga ends. A Hatha-Yogi starts
his Sadhana with his body and Prana (breath); a Raja-Yogi with his mind.
A Hatha-Yogi gets different powers when the mighty Kundalini-Sakti reaches
the Sahasrara Chakra (at the top of the head); a Raja-Yogi gets psychic
powers by the combined practice of concentration, meditation and Samadhi
at one and the same time. Mantra-Yoga relates to the recitation of certain
Mantras (sacred words to which definite powers are ascribed), such as
Om Namo Narayana, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya and Om Namah
Sivaya. Laya-Yoga is Kundalini-Yoga. Concentration on the sound
emanating from the heart-lotus is Laya-Yoga. Laya is dissolution. The
mind is dissolved in God just as a lump of ice is dissolved in a tumbler
of soda-water.
A Jnana-Yogi can practice his Sadhana even while walking, eating and
talking. He is not in need of any Asana or room. But a Raja-Yogi wants
a room and an Asana for his practice. A Jnana-Yogi is always in Samadhi.
He is not affected by Maya or illusion. There is no 'in Samadhi' and
'out of Samadhi' for a Jnani, whereas a Yogi is affected by Maya when
he comes down from his Samadhi. A Raja-Yogi plugs his mind, as it were,
through effort, just as you plug a bottle with a cork, and thus stops
all mental activities. He tries to make the mind quite blank. He remains
as a silent witness of all the activities of his mind and intellect.
A Raja-Yogi commences his practice with his mind. A Jnana-Yogi starts
his practices with his will and reason.
A Karma-Yogi does selfless service to kill his little self. A Bhakta
or devotee of the Lord practices self-surrender to annihilate his egoism.
A Jnani practices self-denial. The methods are different but all want
to destroy this self-arrogating little "I" the root cause of bondage
and suffering. Karma-Yoga prepares the mind for the reception of Light
and Knowledge. It expands the heart ad infinitum. It breaks all
barriers that stand in the way of unity and oneness. Bhakti and meditation
are also mental Karmas. There can be no Jnana without Yoga. The fruit
of Bhakti is Jnana. Have you now understood the nature of the four Yogas
and their interrelations?
There is a verse in Sanskrit the gist of which runs as follows: "The
Sastras are endless; there is much to be known; time is short; obstacles
are many; that which is the essence should be grasped just as the swan
does in the case of milk mixed with water." I therefore want you to
start doing some kind of spiritual practice or other and realise the
goal of life and justify your existence before the Lord on the "Day
of Judgment." (See Lesson XI)
Lesson III
A lecture delivered in the Hallett Hall, Gaya, by Swami Sivananda
Sarasvati on March 3, 1937.
Yoga is rooted in virtue. Ethical discipline is very necessary for
success in Yoga. Ethical discipline is the practice of right conduct
in life. The two moral back-bones of Yoga are Yama and Niyama, which
the aspirant must practice in his daily life. These correspond roughly
to the ten commandments of Lord Jesus or to the noble eightfold path
of Lord Buddha. Non-injuring (Ahimsa), truthfulness (Satyam), non-stealing
(Asteya), continence (Brahmacharya) and non-covetousness (Aparigraha)
are the component parts of Yama. Internal and external purification
(Saucha), contentment (Santosha), austerity (Tapas), study of religious
and philosophical books (Svadhyaya) and self-surrender to the Lord (Isvara-Pranidhana)
come under Niyama. Practice of Yama and Niyama will eradicate all the
impurities of the mind. In fact, Yama and Niyama form the corner-stones
of Yoga philosophy.
Pre-eminence is given to abstention from injuring any living creature
(Ahimsa) amongst all other virtues. There must be non-injuring in thought,
word and deed. Non-injuring is placed first because it is the source
of the following nine. The practice of universal love or brotherhood
is nothing but the practice of non-injuring. He who practices non-injuring
will get quick success in Yoga. The practitioner must abandon even harsh
words and unkind looks. He must show goodwill and friendliness to one
and all. He must respect life. He must remember that one common Self
dwells in the hearts of all beings.
Truthfulness (Satyam) comes next in order. Thought must agree with
word, and word with action. This is truthfulness. These virtues are
attainable only by the unselfish. Truth can hardly arise unless there
is pure motive behind all actions. The word of the Yogi must be a blessing
to others.
Then comes non-stealing (Asteya). You must be satisfied with what you
get by honest means. The Law of Karma is inexorable. You will have to
suffer for every wrong action of yours. Action and reaction are equal
and opposite. Amassing wealth is really theft. The whole wealth of all
the three worlds belongs to the Lord. You are only a caretaker of his
wealth. You must willingly share what you have with all and spend it
in charity.
The fourth virtue is the practice of celibacy. That portion of human
energy which is expressed in sexual union when controlled, becomes transmuted
into a form of special spiritual energy called Ojas-Sakti and this is
stored up in the brain. If you practice Yoga and at the same time lead
an impure, voluptuous and immoderate life, how can you expect progress
in Yoga? All great spiritual giants of the world have practiced celibacy
and that is the reason why they were able to thrill and electrify the
whole world through the power of the special spiritual energy they had
stored up in their brains. A Yogi with an abundance of this energy keeps
his audience spell-bound, as it were, and sways them even as a monarch
sways his dominions. There is a peculiar charm in his smile and power
in the words emanating from his heart. He produces a very profound impression
in the minds of all with whom he comes in contact.
Householders are allowed to visit their wives once in a month at the
proper time, without the idea of sexual enjoyment, but just for the
sake of preservation of progeny. If this rule is observed, then it tantamounts
to the practice of celibacy. Such observers of this rule are also Brahmacharins.
As soon as a son is born, the wife becomes the mother, because the father
himself is born in the form of the son. A son is nothing but the modified
energy of the father.
Brahmacharya is the basis of acquiring immortality. Brahmacharya brings
material progress and psychic advancement. Brahmacharya is the substratum
for a life in the Atman. It is a potent weapon for waging a relentless
war against the internal monsters-passion, greed, anger, miserliness,
hypocrisy, etc. It contributes to perennial joy and uninterrupted, undecaying
bliss. It gives tremendous energy, clear brain, gigantic will-power,
bold understanding, retentive memory and good power of enquiry (Vichara-Sakti).
It is through Brahmacharya and Brahmacharya alone that you can have
physical, mental, moral and spiritual advancement.
What is wanted is restraint and not suppression of sexual desire. In
restraint no sexual thought will arise in the mind. There is perfect
sublimation of sex-energy. But in suppression the aspirant is not safe.
There are sexual thoughts. When favourable opportunities occur, the
repressed desire manifests with redoubled force and vengeance, and there
is the danger of a miserable downfall. One should be very careful.
After Dhanvantari had taught all the secrets of the Ayurveda system
of medicine to his disciples, they enquired the key-note of this science.
The master replied: "I tell you that Brahmacharya is truly a precious
jewel; it is the one most effective medicine, nectar indeed, which destroys
disease, decay and death. For attaining peace, brightness, memory, knowledge,
health and Self-realisation, one should observe Brahmacharya which is
the highest duty. Brahmacharya is the highest knowledge; Brahmacharya
is the greatest strength. Of the nature of Brahmacharya is verily this
Atman, and in Brahmacharya It resides. Saluting Brahmacharya first,
the cases beyond cure I cure. Aye, Brahmacharya can undo all the inauspicious
signs."
What is wanted is deep inner life. Silence the bubbling thoughts. Keep
the mind cool and calm. Open yourself to higher spiritual consciousness.
Feel the Divine Presence and Divine Guidance. Fix your mind at the Lotus-Feet
of the Lord. Become like a child. Speak to Him freely. Become absolutely
candid. Do not hide your thoughts. You cannot do so, because He is the
Inner Ruler (Antaryamin). He watches all your thoughts. Pray for Mercy,
Light, Purity, Strength, Peace and Knowledge. You will surely get them.
You will be established in Brahmacharya.
A Yogic student should abstain from greed. He should not receive luxurious
presents from anybody. Gifts affect the mind of the receiver. These
five virtues must be practiced in thought, word and deed, for they are
not merely restraints but change the character of the practitioner,
implying inward purity and strength.
Besides these, the would-be Yogi should also practice certain other
active virtues such as cleanliness of body and mind, contentment, austerity,
study of religious and philosophical books and self-surrender to God.
Contentment does not mean satisfaction, but willingness to accept things
as they are and to make the best of them. Austerities like occasional
fasting and observance of silence increase the power of endurance. Self-surrender
is the regarding of every work as that of the Supreme Lord and renouncing
all claims to its fruits. Study of religious books fills the mind with
piety and purity. Such a rigorous ethical discipline brings a sense
of freedom and moral elevation. When you are sufficiently advanced in
the above practices, you can face every temptation by calling in the
aid of pure and restraining thoughts.
Two things are necessary for attaining success in mind-control, viz.,
practice (Abhyasa) and dispassion (Vairagya).
You must try your extremest level best to be free from any desire for
any pleasure, seen or unseen, and this dispassion can be attained through
constant perception of evil in them. Dispassion is renunciation of attainment.
It is aversion to sensual enjoyments herein and hereafter. The dispassion
or detachment is of two kinds, the lower and the higher. Vijnana Bhikshu
distinguishes the superior and the inferior types of Vairagya in the
following way: "The former is a distaste for the good things of life,
here or hereafter, due to the experience that they cannot be acquired
or preserved without trouble while their loss causes pain and that the
quest is never free from egoistic feelings. The latter, however, is
based on a clear perception of the difference between intelligence and
the objects that appear in its light."
There are various stages in dispassion. The determination to refrain
from enjoying all sorts of sensual objects is the first stage. In the
second stage certain objects lose their charm for the spiritual aspirant
and he attempts to destroy the attraction for others also. In the third
stage the senses are controlled, but a vague longing for the sensual
enjoyment remains in the mind. In the fourth the aspirant loses completely
all interest whatsoever in the external objects. The final stage is
a state of highest desirelessness. It is this kind of dispassion that
bestows Absolute Independence on the Yogi. In this stage the Yogi renounces
all kinds of psychic powers even such as Omniscience, etc.
It is by practice and dispassion that the passage of thought towards
external objects can be checked. Mere indifference will not serve the
purpose. Practice is also necessary. Remembering God always is also
practice. Lord Krishna says to Arjuna with reference to this practice
of controlling the mind: "Abandoning without reserve all desires born
of the imagination by the mind, curbing in the aggregate of the senses
on every side, little by little let him gain tranquillity by means of
Reason controlled by steadiness; having made the mind abide in the Self,
let him not think of anything. As often as the wavering and unsteady
mind goeth forth, so often reining it in, let him bring it under control
of the Self." (Bhagavad-Gita: VI-21, 25, 26).
Sound and other objects make the mind wander away. Mind is drawn towards
external objects by the force of desire. By convincing oneself of the
illusoriness of sense-objects through an investigation into their nature
and by cultivating indifference to worldly objects, the mind can be
restrained and brought back to the Self to abide finally. In virtue
of this practice of Yoga, the Yogi's mind attains peace in the Self.
Practice consists in constantly repeating the same idea or thought regarding
any object. By constant reflection and exercise of will-power, suggestions
should be given to the sub-conscious mind not to look for enjoyment
in the changing world without, but in the changeless within. You should
exercise great vigilance to get hold of opportunities, when the mind
dwells on sense-objects, and suggests to it new meanings and interpretations
and make it change its attitude towards them with a view to its ultimate
withdrawal therefrom. This is called practice.
The chief characteristic of the mind in the waking state is to have
some object before it to dwell upon. It can never remain blank. It can
concentrate on one object at a time. It constantly changes its objects
and so it is restless. It is impetuous, strong and difficult to bend.
It is as hard to curb it as the wind. That is the reason why Patanjali
Maharshi says that the practice must be steady and continuous and it
must stretch over a considerable period and be undertaken with a perfect
faith in its regenerating and uplifting powers. You must not show any
slackening symptoms at any stage of practice.
Restraint does not come in a day, but by long and continued practice
with zeal and enthusiasm. The progress in Yoga can only be gradual.
Many people give up the practice of concentration after some time, when
they do not see any tangible prospect of getting psychic powers. They
become impatient. They do little and expect much. This is bad. Doing
any kind of practice by fits and starts will not bring the desired fruit.
Direct experience is the goal of life. Though the effort or practice
is painful in the beginning, yet it brings Supreme Joy in the end. Lord
Krishna says to Arjuna: "Supreme joy is for this Yogi, whose mind is
peaceful, whose passionate nature is controlled, who is sinless, and
of the nature of the eternal." (Bhagavad-Gita: Ch. VI-27).
Control your senses. Calm your mind. Still the bubbling thoughts. Fix
the mind in the lotus of the heart. Concentrate. Meditate. Realise Him
intuitively this very second and enjoy the Bliss of the Self.
Have firm and unshakable faith in the existence of God, the supreme,
undying, intelligent Principle or Essence or Substance who exists in
the three periods of time-past, present and future. He has neither beginning,
middle nor end. He is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence Absolute, Knowledge
Absolute and Bliss Absolute).
O ignorant man! Why do you vainly search for happiness in the perishable
external objects of the world conditioned in time, space and causation?
You have no peace of mind. Your desires are never fully gratified. You
may amass boundless wealth, beget beautiful babies, earn titles, honours,
name, fame, power, publicity and all you want, and yet your mind is
restless. You have no real, abiding happiness. You feel you still want
something. You have no feeling of fullness. Never, therefore, forget
from this moment onwards that this feeling of fullness or eternal satisfaction
can be obtained only in God by realising Him through constant practice
of self-control, purity, concentration, meditation and practice of Yoga.
There is restlessness everywhere. Selfishness, greed, jealousy and
lust are playing unimaginable havoc in every heart. Fights, skirmishes
and petty quarrels are polluting the atmosphere of the world and creating
discord, disharmony and unrest. The bugle is blown and the armies march
to the battlefield to destroy their enemies. One nation wages war against
another nation for acquiring more dominions and power. Side by side
with these bloody wars, peace movement is also working for bringing
harmony and peace, for eradicating dire ignorance, the root cause of
all human sufferings and for disseminating Divine Knowledge.
The greatest need of the world today is the message of love. Kindle
the light of love in your own heart first. Love all. Include all creatures
in the warm embrace of your love. Nations can be united by pure love
only. World-wars can be put an end to by pure love only. The League
of Nations cannot do much. Love is a mysterious divine glue that unites
the hearts of all. It is a magical healing balm of very high potency.
Charge every action with pure love. Kill cunningness, greed, crookedness
and selfishness. It is extremely cruel to take away the lives of others
by using poisonous gas. This is a capital crime. The scientist who manufactures
the gas in the laboratory cannot escape without being punished for this
crime by the great Lord. Forget not the Day of Judgement. What will
you say unto the Lord, O ye mortals, who run after power, dominions
and wealth? Have a clean conscience and pure love. You will verily enter
into the Kingdom of God.
How mysterious is the universe! How mysterious are the silent workings
of the unseen Power, who prompts passionate people to wage wars on the
one side and pious people to disseminate Divine Knowledge on the other
and bring peace and happiness to the suffering humanity at large!
Desire is the real enemy of peace. Restlessness is fed by desire just
as fire is fed by oil. In the Yoga-Vasishtha you will find Sage Vasishtha
saying to his royal disciple Rama: "O best of intellects! the obliteration
of latent desire, Gnosis and the dissolution of the mind, if attempted
simultaneously for a sufficient length of time, bestow the desired fruit."
Lord Krishna also says to his royal disciple Arjuna on the battlefield
of Kurukshetra: "It is desire, it is wrath, begotten by the quality
of mobility; all-consuming, all-polluting, know thou this as our foe
here on earth. As a flame is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust,
as an embryo by the amnion, so is wisdom enveloped by it. Enveloped
is wisdom by this constant enemy the wise in the form of desire which
is insatiable as a flame. Mastering first the senses, slay thou, O mighty
armed, the enemy in the form of desire, destructive of wisdom and knowledge."
Swami Vidyaranya Sarasvati, the reputed author of "Panchadasi" and
"Jivanmukti-Viveka" says: "So long as these three (obliteration of latent
desire, Gnosis and the dissolution of the mind) are not well attempted
repeatedly, the state of Jivanmukti (liberation in this life) cannot
be realised, even after the lapse of hundreds of years." When the mind
is dissolved and there is no sensation of any external cause which can
fully rouse mental impressions, latent desire fades away. When latent
desire fades away, and there remains no cause for that functioning of
the mind which we call lust, anger, etc., the mind is also dissolved.
When the mind is annihilated, Gnosis will arise.
The Hindu Scriptures maintain: "Mind alone is, to man, the cause of
bondage or liberation; lost in enjoyment, it leads to bondage; freed
from the objective, it leads to liberation. As mind freed from the objective
leads to liberation, one desirous of liberation or success in the path
of Yoga must always try to wipe off the objective from the plane of
his mind. When the mind severed from all connections with sensual objects
and confined to the light of the heart, finds itself in Ecstasy, it
is said to have reached its culminating point. The mind should be prevented
from functioning, till its dissolution is attained in the heart; this
is Gnosis; this is concentration; the rest is all mere logomachy."
Desire may be described as the hankering for things, which gains such
mastery over the mind as to preclude even enquiring into their antecedents
and consequences. Man at once becomes that which he identifies himself
with, by force of strong and deep attachment and loses memory of everything
else in the act. The man, thus subdued by desire, fixing his eye on
everything and anything, is deluded into believing it as the real thing.
Due to loss of control man perceives everything with beclouded eyes
in this deluded fashion, like one under the influence of a strong intoxicant.
As you think, so you become. Think you are a High Court judge, High
Court judge you will become. Think you are the monarch of the whole
world, monarch of the whole world you will become. Think you are a great
teacher, teacher you will become. Think you are poor and weak, poor
and weak you will become. Think you are a multi-millionaire, multi-millionaire
you will become. Think you are a Yogi, Yogi you will become. Think you
are a saint of spotless character, saint of spotless character you will
become. Think you are God or Atman or Brahman, God or Atman or Brahman
you will become. The whole universe is governed by this wonderful Law
of Nature.
Always think rightly and act rightly. Never try to seize the possessions
of others. Never envy your neighbours. Entertain noble and sublime thoughts.
Have supreme self-confidence and courage. Whatever you do, do it with
a will to succeed. You will, by all means, succeed in all your endeavours.
Success is yours. You will know of no failures. This is the Sovereign
secret. Meditate upon this Secret daily in the morning for some time
and enjoy the Bliss of the Self.
In the Vishnupurana you will find: "If the deluded fool loves the body,
a mere collection of flesh, blood, pus, faeces, urine, muscles, fat
and bones, he will verily love hell itself! To him who is not disgusted
with the nasty smell from his own body, what other argument need be
adduced for detachment?"
It is a well-known fact that enjoyment cannot bring you satisfaction
of desire. On the contrary, it aggravates desire and makes man more
restless. The root-cause of all human sufferings and miseries is the
craving for worldly enjoyments. The more you hanker after these sensual
enjoyments, the more unhappy do you become. The desires also grow when
they are not fulfilled. You can never be happy as long as the craving
for enjoyments exists.
Desire is born of ignorance (Avidya). Attachment, longing and preference
are the constituents of desire. Do not endeavour to fulfil desires.
Try to reduce your desires, as best as you can. Withdraw the fuel of
gratification. Then the fire of desire will get extinguished by itself.
Just as a gheeless lamp dies out, when the ghee is withdrawn, even so
the fire of desire will die when the fuel of gratification is withdrawn.
If attachment is eradicated, then longing and preference for objects
will die by themselves.
Man commits various kinds of sins and injures others when he exerts
to get the desired objects. He has to reap the fruits of his actions;
hence he is brought again and again in his round of births and deaths.
If you increase one object in the list of your possessions or wants,
the desire also increases ten times. The more worldly objects you possess,
the more distant you are from God. Your mind will always be thinking
and planning as to how to get and guard the objects, how to earn tons
of money and keep them safe. If the acquired objects are lost, your
mind is completely upset. Cares, worries, anxieties and all sorts of
mental torments increase with the objects. No doubt, it is painful to
earn money. It is more painful to keep the money that is earned. It
is still more painful, if the money gets reduced. And it is extremely
painful, if the whole money is lost. Money is the abode of all sorts
of pain. That is the reason why in India a Sadhu or a Sannyasin does
not possess anything. In his grand vision, he does not possess his body
also. He constantly asserts. "The body is not mine; I am not body."
A real Sannyasin is one who feels: "I am bodiless." These Sannyasins
lead a life of perfect dispassion and ruthless renunciation. Renunciation
brings in its train supreme Peace.
It is very difficult to become absolutely desireless. A liberated sage
or a full-blown Yogi alone is entirely free from the taint of desires,
for he has completely annihilated his mind and is enjoying the supreme
Bliss of the Self within. How can desires arise in him who is plunged
in the ocean of Divine Bliss?
A neophyte in the spiritual path should entertain noble desires. He
should do virtuous actions. He should develop intense longing for liberation.
In order to achieve this end, he should study the Holy Scriptures regularly
and systematically. He should betake himself to the company of the wise.
He should practice right conduct, right thinking, right speaking and
right acting. He should practice regular meditation. By and by all old
vicious desires and sensual cravings and evil propensities will vanish.
Hey Saumya! Lead a life of perfect contentment. Contentment is the bliss
of life. The cold ambrosial waters of contentment will quickly extinguish
the fire of desires. Contentment is the chief sentinel who keeps watch
over the domain of Peace or the Kingdom of God.
The old subdued desires recur, persist and resist. They assert: "O
ungrateful man! You gave me shelter in your mind all along. You enjoyed
various objects of the world through me only. If there is no desire
for food and drink, how can you enjoy food and drink? If there is no
desire for sexual union, how can you enjoy a woman? Why are you so cruel
towards me now? I have every right to dwell in this abode of your mind.
Do whatever you like." But you should not be discouraged even a bit
by these threats. All desires will be thinned out gradually by meditation
and Yoga. They will eventually perish in toto beyond resurrection.
A strong mind has influence over a weak mind. Mind has influence over
the physical body. Mind acts upon matter. Mind brings bondage. Mind
gives you liberation. Mind is the devil. Mind is your best friend. Mind
is your Guru (Spiritual Preceptor). You will have to tame your mind.
You will have to discipline your mind. You will have to control your
mind. This is all you have to do.
Study your feelings and emotions. Analyse them. Dissect them. Do not
identify yourself with these feelings and emotions. Separate yourself
from these feelings and emotions. Stand as a silent witness. Identification
with these feelings and emotions is the cause of bondage and misery.
Anger is a modification of desire in the mind. There is no modification
in the Self the real "I" or Atman. A worldly man identities himself
with anger and so he becomes miserable. This is ignorance only. The
body and the mind are your instruments for growth and evolution. Identify
yourself with the big, infinite "I" by utilising these two instruments
and become a master of your mind and body. You are the driver of this
engine-body and mind. Assert your birthright and become free, my child.
Understand the trick of this mischievous mind. It has played with you
long enough. Attain complete mastery over it. You can do this easily
by the practice of Yoga.
Watch and chop and clip the thoughts as soon as they arise from the
mind. Kill them dead on the spot. If you find it difficult to do this,
become indifferent Do not mind them. Allow them to take their own shape.
They will soon die by themselves. Or, sometimes you can chop the thoughts
and when you get tired of doing so, you can adopt the method of remaining
indifferent. The latter method is more easy. If you tie a monkey to
a post, it becomes more turbulent; if you allow it to move about at
its own will and pleasure, it is not so very turbulent. Even so, when
you try to fix the mind at a point, it becomes more turbulent. Therefore
various kinds of evil thoughts enter into the minds of neophytes at
the time of concentration. But they need not be unnecessarily alarmed.
If you find it difficult to focus the mind at one point, allow it to
jump a while like a monkey. Do not wrestle with the mind. It will soon
get exhausted and will then be waiting to obey your behests. Now you
can tackle it easily.
Free yourself from the tyranny of the mind. It has tormented you mercilessly
for so long a time. You have allowed it to indulge in sensual pleasures
and have its own ways. Now is the time to curb it just as you would
curb a wild horse. Be patient and persevering. Practise daily thoughtlessness
or inhibition of thoughts. The task may be difficult in the beginning.
It will be indeed disgusting and tiring, but the reward is great. You
will reap Immortality, Supreme Joy, Eternal Peace and Infinite Bliss.
Therefore practice diligently in right earnest. It is worth doing. Be
on the alert. If you are sincere in your wish and strong in your resolve,
nothing is impossible under the sun to accomplish. Nothing can stand
in your way. If you fail in your attempt, do not be discouraged. Remember
the thrilling story of the dreadful fight between Hercules and the prodigious
giant. In the course of his journey in quest of adventures, Hercules
encountered a monster, who was so wonderfully contrived by nature that
every time he touched the earth, he became ten times as strong as before.
By remembering this incident you will get inner strength and courage.
You are bound to succeed.
Realise that you are neither body nor mind, that you were never born
nor will you ever die, that you are invincible, that nothing in this
world can hurt you, that you are the Sun around whom the whole universe
revolves. The whole knowledge is treasured up within the chambers of
your heart. Procure the key and unlock the doors of Knowledge. Yoga
is the Key. You will attain unruffled peace, marvellous self-control
and tremendous will-power.
Behold! There on the banks of the holy Ganga at Rishikesh, Himalayas,
a Sage, a Paramahamsa Sannyasin of eighty summers, with lustrous eyes,
serene face, magnetic personality, bright complexion sits with a loin-cloth
only. There is a small grass-hut beside him underneath a tree. Inside
the hut you will find a small wooden bowl (Kamandalu) for keeping water
and an ordinary stick. This is all his personal effect. He is always
sitting there in a contemplative mood. He never talks, nor laughs, but
occasionally nods his roundshapely head and smiles gently. He never
stirs from the place. He is unaffected by the heat of the summer sun
or the biting cold of the winter. He never uses blankets, no, not even
in winter. What a wonderful power of endurance! He lives on some milk
and fruits only. His heart is filled with purity, mercy, compassion,
sympathy and love!
People from various parts of the country flock to him in hundreds and
thousands in season and out of season with flowers and fruits in their
hands, prostrate at his Holy Feet, worship him with their offerings
and leave the place with his ready blessings. He never talks, but all
doubts are cleared in his mere presence. People forget the world, their
families, their children. They bathe in his magnetic aura. Such is the
benign influence of a liberated sage who is verily a beacon-light to
the world at large.
Now here is a man living in the busiest part of a metropolis. He earns
a fat salary. He spends half of his earnings in gambling and in drinking.
The other half goes to cinema and prostitutes. He eats fish, meat and
smokes heavily. He runs into debts every month and finds it hard to
make both ends meet. He dislikes sages and saints. He has no faith in
God or in scriptures. He is very cruel-hearted. He attends ballrooms
and theatres, goes to bed at 2 a.m. and gets up at 9 a.m. He wears a
care-worn face even though he appears in costly silken finery. He is
always gloomy and depressed. His heart is filled with lust, anger, greed,
vanity, hypocrisy and egoism. Compare for a moment the life of this
man with that of the magnanimous Sage of the Himalayas! They are poles
asunder. The one is a God-man, the other is a bruteman. But if the brute-man
seeks the company of the God-man, he will surely give up his old dirty
habits. Just as iron is transmuted into gold by the touch of the philosopher's
stone, so also the brute-man will be radically changed into a veritable
saint by and by through constant contact with a developed Yogi.
Good friend! Slay this serpent of ignorance mercilessly. Get Knowledge
of Self: This will give your Freedom or Liberation. Ignorance is your
deadliest enemy. He has plundered the Jewel of Wisdom for long ages.
Rise above temptations of this little world. This world is a show for
five minutes directed by the juggler, Maya or mind. Beware. Do not get
yourself entrapped. Money, woman, power, name, fame-these are the live
tempting baits of Maya. Those who have not fallen victims to these illusory
baits will surely reach the other shore of immortality and fearlessness-the
shore beyond darkness where there is perennial joy and eternal sunshine.
Reach this shore through indefatigable struggle, rigid discipline and
rigorous practice of Yoga.
From the condition of your mind, from your feelings and conduct, you
can very well understand the nature of your actions in your previous
lives and can nullify or counteract the effects of evil actions by doing
good actions, Tapas, discipline and meditation. Try to lead a life of
non-attachment. Discipline your mind carefully. No one is free from
pains, diseases, troubles, difficulties. You will have to rest in your
divine nature. Then alone you will draw strength to face the difficulties
of life. Then only you will have a balanced mind. Then only you will
not be affected by external morbid influences and discordant vibrations.
Regular meditation in the morning will give you new strength and inner
life of joy and bliss. Practise meditation. Feel this joy and bliss
despite your stormy conditions and adverse circumstances. Gradually
you will grow spiritually. You will attain Self-realisation.
Abandon this eat-drink-and-be-merry policy. Look always upwards and
onwards. Have an ideal before you. Live up to it at any cost. You can
become as great as anyone else. Give up this inferiority-complex. Give
up the superiority-complex also. The idea of inferiority and superiority
is born of ignorance. Inferiority-complex will cause worry. Superiority
complex will generate pride and vanity. Put up the switch of the eternal
Light in the innermost chambers of your heart. Keep the Divine Flame
burning steadily. Feed it regularly. Throw your whole heart and soul
in spiritual practices. Waste not even a single minute. Be persistent
and methodical in your Sadhana. Marshal up all your forces properly
and powerfully even as the Lieutenant-General in the army marshals up
the armies on the battlefield. All miseries will melt away soon. You
will shine as a glorious Jivanmukta with the highest realisation. All
sense of separateness, distinction, duality, difference will vanish
out of sight. You will feel oneness and unity everywhere. You will feel
that there is nothing but Brahman or God. What a magnanimous vision
you are blessed with! What an exalted state, what a sublime, soul-stirring
and stupendous experience will be yours! You will get dumbfounded. This
state is indescribable. You must experience it by direct intuitive perception.
Introspect daily in the morning and examine the various nooks and corners
of your heart. The mind is very diplomatic and cunning. The ego will
keep several desires for secret gratification. Many desires will be
lurking in your mind. It is very hard to detect their presence. Aspirants
who are puffed up with their scholarly erudition and some powers (Siddhis)
cannot trace the existence of these under-currents of desires in their
minds. They pose themselves as great Yogins, deliver lectures in various
parts of the world, build Ashrams and make lady-disciples. Nevertheless,
it should be admitted, their speeches do not produce any deep impression
in the minds of the hearers. These speeches are like empty bullets.
The secret desires attack the student of Yoga mercilessly, whenever
a suitable opportunity presents itself and destroys all his noble qualities
and sublime ideals. They pounce upon the student of Yoga with a vengeance
and redoubled vigour and bring a hopeless downfall that has no parallel.
Those who have a pure, subtle intellect, who remember God always, who
thirst for communion with Him, who practice daily introspection, self-analysis
and meditation will be able to detect the presence of lurking desires,
not others. He who has abandoned all desires, who is free from all yearnings,
attains everlasting Peace. He enjoys the supremest Happiness. The fewer
the desires, the greater the happiness. That desireless Yogi who roams
about in the world with a loin-cloth and a blanket only is the happiest
man in all the three worlds.
Selfishness is a negative attribute of the lower mind. It is a modification
of desire that arises in a mind filled with passion. It is the first-born
child of ignorance or indiscrimination. It is the greatest obstacle
to the practice of Yoga. It is the bane of life. It contracts the heart
ad infinitum and intensifies the idea of separateness from others. Selfishness
goes hand in hand with egoism, hypocrisy, vanity, miserliness, cunningness,
dishonesty and pride.
How to eradicate this selfishness? The answer is simple enough. Selfless
service in some form or another, cultivation of the opposite virtuous
qualities, viz., nobility, magnanimity, disinterestedness, integrity,
generosity, charitable nature, mercy and universal love-all these will
pave a long way in the eradication of this dire malady, the deadly foe
of peace and Yoga. Positive overpowers the negative. This is an infallible
dictum in Yoga.
To sum up the fundamental requisites for the practice of Yoga: You
should have absolute fearlessness, regard for every creature that breathes,
respect for truth, continence, absence of greed, a life of contentment,
austerity, absence of anger and hypocrisy. Moral excellence is not the
final goal of life but is only the means to that end. When the Yogi
is established in these virtues, he gets some powers such as effectiveness
of speech, arrival of unsought wealth, vigour of body and mind, clear
and lucid undertaking of life's events, clarity of thought, steadiness
of attention, control of the senses, immense joy and intuition.
Beloved Immortal Self! Observe vow of silence. Keep the mind fully
occupied. Sit on your favourite Asana and do regular meditation. Sing
the Name of the Lord. Twirl the beads. Study the Scriptures. Practise
celibacy or be very, very moderate in sexual acts. Take almonds and
sugar-candy every morning (soak ten or twelve almond-seeds overnight
in cold water. Peel off the skin the next morning and eat them with
sugar-candy.). Do not consult doctors. Do not think of your disease.
Divert the mind from the body. Be cheerful always. Smile, whistle, laugh,
dance in joy and ecstasy. Think of God and meditate upon Him with true
devotion and feeling and merge in Him. This is the goal of life. You
have attained it after a long and continued struggle for some years
with zeal and enthusiasm. You have now become a Jivanmukta (living liberated
soul). Hail, hail to thee, a thousand hails, my child.
Lesson IV
A diet that is wholly conducive to the practice of Yoga and spiritual
progress is called Yogic diet. Diet has intimate connection with the
mind. Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food. Sage Uddalaka
instructs his son Svetaketu "Food, when consumed becomes threefold:
the gross particles become excrement, the middling ones flesh and the
fine ones the mind. My child, when curd is churned, its fine particles
which rise upwards, form butter. Thus, my child, when food is consumed,
the fine particles which rise upwards form the mind. Hence verily the
mind is food." Again you will find in the Chhandogya Upanishad: "By
the purity of food one becomes purified in his inner nature; by the
purification of his inner nature he verily gets memory of the Self;
and by the attainment of the memory of the Self, all ties and attachments
are severed."
Diet is of three kinds viz., Sattvic diet, Rajasic diet and Tamasic
diet. Milk, barely, wheat, cereals, butter, cheese, tomatoes, honey,
dates, fruits, almonds and sugar-candy are all Sattvic foodstuffs. They
render the mind pure and calm. Fish, eggs, meat, salt, chillies and
asafoetida are Rajasic foodstuffs. They excite passion. Beef, wine,
garlic, onions and tobacco are Tamasic foodstuffs. They fill the mind
with anger, darkness and inertia.
Lord Krishna says to Arjuna: "The food which is dear to each is threefold.
Hear the distinctions of these. The foods which increase vitality, energy,
vigour, health and joy and which are delicious, bland, substantial and
agreeable are dear to the pure. The passionate desire foods that are
bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning and
which produce pain, grief
