Asti Kashchit Swayam-Nityam (or, There is something self-luminous, eternal), says Shri Shankaracharya

Swami Madhavananda, who has translated (and in places, commented) on Shri Shankaracharya's "Vivekachoodamani", calls it an "original work of Shankara's genius" in the preface to the book. There could be more than one reason for calling it a work of genius. For one, it is possible that some of the statements made by Shri Shankaracharya in the book regarding the subtler aspects of creation were great revelations, made for the first time by him in trying to explain declarations in the Shrutis (upanishads), and later understood by others through his writings. Or, he might be referring simply to the deep conviction with which the highest of the truths of the Shrutis have been explained and propagated in the book - something perhaps impossible for someone without self-realization. My own money would, however, be on a third reason which is as follows. I read elsewhere that if Vedanta (especially, non-dual Vedanta) stands out relative to all other branches of Indian philosophy, it is in its preaching of absolute and total renunciation from everything "unreal", to the point where nothing except the Supreme Reality absorbs one's mind. Upon reading this translation of Vivekachudamani, it is very clear what that statement means.Even when the book goes into an explanation of some subtler aspect of reality (the gunas, the koshas, etc.), it does not let the reader's mind divert from the central and overriding message - that the sadhu needs to constantly keep his mind absorbed in the ideas of Brahman (the One Supreme Reality), especially the idea that Brahman is the absolute, one, non-dual reality, upon which the phenomenal world is but an erroneous super-imposition (like a rope being mistaken for a snake) and maintain in his mind the absolute renunciation which comes with the message. This thought, and the resulting "love for all" permeates every verse of the book, and if this was Shri Shankaracharya's central teaching, the book simply never loses focus. Swami Madhavananda says that a "new life has been breathed into the dry bones of philosophical discussion", and one reading of the 580 verses makes clear exactly what he means.

In the initial verses, Shri Shankaracharya mentions four well-accepted means to self-realization. The first is discriminating between the real and the unreal. The second is deep inner renunciation (not just an outward discipline for the show). The third is the cultivation of the six virtues (calmness, etc.) and the final but equally important one is the desire for liberation (self-realization). A student's typical question is considered - on the nature of bondage and liberation - and then the teacher goes on to explain. The means - especially discrimination (or, Viveka) between the real and the unreal and renunciation - are then discussed throughout the book in great details. Since Brahman is real and the phenomenal world is a super-imposition upon it, the nature of Brahman is explained, with some references to the upanishads too. The nature of creation - the pranas, the koshas, the gross and subtle body and the three gunas (modes of nature) are all mentioned - because these are all part of the "unreal" which needs to be given up - i.e., which should not be identified with by the seeker. The importance of inner (mental) renunciation is definitely an all-important theme, preached by Shri Shankaracharya with utmost conviction throughout the book.

In the 125th verse, Shri Shankaracharya says that there is something self-luminous and eternal, which is the substratum and witness of the the three states (waking, dreaming and deep sleep) and of the ego too. Commentaries on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras also mention this. The commonly understood "witness consciousness" in human beings, which helps one be conscious even of passing emotions, thoughts and desires, is called the subtle subject, and Patanjaliji says that meditating deeply enough on this "witness" leads to an opening up of  further deeper and subtler aspects of creation for the meditator, including the realization of the finest and most subtle witness of all intelligence - the "purusha" of Sankhya and Yoga. The common witness-consciousness is of course self-luminous only in a limited way. To recognize the external, something internal needs to be there to acknowledge, feel and think about it. Without this internal, the external is not "lighted" (not known). So in that sense, the common brain is also "self-luminous" inasmuchas the illuminator of the brain iteself (the purusha) is not commonly known to seekers until they attain to realization. In deep dreamless sleep, though, this common witness loses its luminosity, so it is not perfectly self-luminous. The common witness-consciousness is also "eternal" in the sense that it stays quite the same throughout one's life - at least relatively speaking - even as the body and mind undergo many changes. It only seems to be absent in dreamless sleep, but otherwise it seems eternal. The ultimate witness, however, is said to be the witness of this witness-consciousness too, and of all states of the being. It is not realized without God's grace or efforts in this direction. The good news, though, is that even small efforts to see this ultimate witness, beginning with the commonly known witness-consciousness, can help one increase his/her identification with the ultimate witness, and thereby help attain to higher states of self-awareness.

While being completely devoid of any deterioration or change associated with matter and time, this eternal self is also said to be the "creator" of the phenomenal world - at least in its universal form. We all might have heard of the self (or, Atman) being described as being like a projector - the non-dual (Advaita) Vendantist's position is easily understood using this analogy - at least I think I remain true to the Advaita position when I describe the story in the following way. I, in my universal form, dreamt-up a universe as my "lila" (play), and projected these images on myself - images of bodies which live in houses, read books, go somewhere, and which have limited knowledge due to the "veiling power" (aavaran shakti) of Maya. The "projecting power" (vikshepa shakti) of Maya helped me in my endeavour to create these images, so very central to me, the projector, in my play. In the universe (or universes) I created, I used these two powers to create individualized egos which govern the individualized bodies. I also gave the individuals these two powers in the form of natural tendencies - the aavaran shakti in the form of tamasic tendencies which make them say "I don't want to know", "I don't want to do", etc., and the vikshepa shakti in the form of rajasic tendencies which make them feel like "I want this so I am going to do something to develop it, or get it". I also give them intelligence and consciousness to bring them back out of Maya, if they choose that way out. Once they hear of the great path, they can try to merge their senses into the mind, the mind into intelligence, intelligence into the witness consciousness and that, finally into the reality, which is me, the projector who has projected all this. So, the importance of this dreamt-up (projected) image of a body and world is much lesser for the sadhu than any other branch of Indian philosophy would suggest. It is to be considered just like one's image in water or one's shadow - who's affected by what happens to those image-bodies? As Shri Shankracharya says in verse 509 - let this body drop down in water or on land, I am untouched by its properties, as the sky is by the properties of the jar.

Brahman is then to be considered the only reality, says the great guru, not the phenomenal world, but keep in mind that the phenomenal world is itself nothing but a mistaken perception like a snake in a rope - actually only the rope existed and will exist forever. Therefore, even the world is nothing but Brahman, which seen through the eyes of Maya, appears like a snake instead of like the rope it is! At least, this is the right way for the Sadhu to think - all the time trying to merge his mind and intelligence into the undifferentiated, non-dual Brahman. This is the first means, and like a magnet pulling iron filings naturally to itself, brings about the state of deepest renunciation, which is the second means for the one who desires to go beyond the veil of Maya.

As a schoolboy, I heard that Kalidasa - after obtaining the blessing of Goddess Kali - came back home to his wife and knocked politely on the door and his wife replied, still not knowing who it was at the door, by asking the question "asti kashchit vag-visheshah" (is there something special or important)? Kalidasa, with his newfound wisdom, went on to write four of his famous epics, starting each with one of these words (asti, kashchit, vak and vishesha). It was his way of saying "Yes, there is indeed something special!" Shri Shankaracharya probably knew of this story and in the 125th verse, where he says, "asti kashchit swayam-nityam", he is perhaps also saying to his disciples what Kalidasa said to his wife - "Indeed, there is something very, very special!" For Shri Shankara, the secret of the self-luminous, eternal self, and the consciousness that all is One, attained by meditation, absorption and the fundamental renunciation, was that special thing. For the present writer, even the feelings created by these ideas, pondered upon with some faith, are special enough.

Sadanand Tutakne

The Holy Science by Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri

Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was the spiritual guru of the famous Paramahansa Yogananda and himself a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, who is credited with the rejuvenation of Kriya Yoga in the modern world. Much like Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Yukteswarji also met the eternal Babaji by chance and it was Babaji who requested him to write a book which would bring out the essential unity between the Christian and Hindu scriptures. Swamiji then wrote a short book named Kaivalyadarshanam in Sanskrit and "The Holy Science" in English. Short the book indeed is - in length, but in depth of knowledge and clarity, it is of an unsurpassable kind. Sri Yukteswar was, according to Paramahansa Yogananda, one of the greatest and completely self-realized masters, who even resurrected himself some time after his death to explain to Swami Yogananda the details of his post-earth work on subtler spiritual planets. 

In the introduction itself, Swami Yukteswarji demonstrates his unsurpassable understanding of astrology by declaring that the book is being written in the 194th year of the Dwapara Yuga - i.e., we are not living in Kali Yuga as mostly believed in by Hindus. Each Yuga (period) is associated with some general level of spiritual development, although individuals can quicken their progress in any period with proper guidance and practice. The Yugas are governed by the Sun's movement around its "dual" over cycles of 24,000 years, and each cycle is split into 4 major types of periods. Additionally, the suns and solar systems also move around the Vishnunabhi, which is supposed to be the seat of the creative power of Brahma in the universe. When the sun (with its solar system) reaches closest to Vishnunabhi, the world reaches the peak of general spiritual development. This age is called Satya Yuga, and lasts for 8/20th of the cycle. For 3/20th of the cycle each before and after Satya Yuga, the world goes into Treta Yuga, in which people in general understand the "divine magnetism" in all electrical forces. Prior to and after this come the Dwapara age, in which man can comprehend electrical forces, but not the higher magnetism or deepest spiritual mysteries (which are known in the Treta and Satya Yugas respectively). The fourth period is Kali Yuga, which happens when the sun is farthest from the Vishnunabhi in its cycle of 24,000 years. This Kali phase lasts for only 2/20th of the cycle, but is the cycle where man in general only knows the grossest physical realities and does not even know the electrical forces well. According to Swamiji, the widespread belief that we are still in Kali Yuga is based on an astrological mis-calculation, and the error happened because when King Yudhishthira retired with his brothers to the forests (presumably other learned courtiers retired with him too), there remained no one with the correct understanding of these details of astrology in the courts. From there on, this error has persisted in the calendars of the Hindus, creating the belief that we are still in Kali Yuga. Actually, we live in Dwapara. 

The book is divided into four sections which are named "The Gospel", "The Goal", "The Procedure" and "The Revelation" respectively. I will not go into all here. However, I would like to mention the short first chapter (The Gospel) with 18 sutras in Sanskrit and simple explanations in English by Swamiji himself. It is a
very conscise, yet very clear exposition of the basic building blocks of the universe. As Swamiji says, we need to understand creation to understand ourselves. Here is the story of this Gospel, or whatever I got of it.

Within the everlasting, complete Brahma (Sat or God), reside the omniscient feeling and love on the one hand (chit) and the source of all power and joy on the other hand (ananda). Ananda creates the four primary ideas - vibration (Aum or Amen), atoms, space and time. Vibration (or the Word), is thus the beginning of creation. It brings the idea of change and time with it. The atoms which result are collectively called Maya (illusion) and individually called Avidya (or ignorance). Have you ever seen a simpler explanation of the term Avidya (ignorance)? It is the idea of division, which typically pulls us away from the source of creation and the creator.

The omniscient love or knowledge aspect (called Kutastha Chaitanya, Purushottama or the Holy Ghost or its reflection - purusha) attracts all of Maya back towards God, but the individualized atoms cannot  fully receive the spiritual light. The spiritualized atom then acquires a polarity - one pole pulling it away from God
and the other pulling it towards. The spiritualized pole is called intelligence (buddhi) and the other is called mind (manas), which contains in itself the extreme idea of separate existence (ego or ahamkara) too.

The spiritualized atom (chitta) has five "aura electricities" (vikaars). As per Swamiji, that there are 5 different electricities is clear from the fact that the 5 sense organs carry only their own kind of impulses. Therefore, there is something different about the currents of sight versus those of sound, say. These 5 electricities constitute the causal body (kaarana sharira) of the purusha. The manifestation of these 5 electricities happens via the three "gunas" or attributes - positive (sattwa), negative (tamas) and neutralizing (rajas).

Therefore there are 15 manifestations of the pancha tattwas as the five electricities are called. Through sattwa, they appear as the sense organs, through tamas, they appear as objects of the five sense organs and through rajas, they appear as the organs of action. These 15 elements, coupled with mind and intelligence as the two poles constitute the subtle body of the purusha. The five objects of senses (called tanmatras) further combine and form the ideas of basic elements, called solids, liquids, fire, gases and ether. Adding chitta (here meaning the power of feeling in the spiritualized atom) and ahankara (ego) to the list and including the 17 elements described above completes the 24 basic principles of creation. These are the 24 elders mentioned in Revelations in the Bible.

The next few sutras mention the seven heavens and the seven "churches" within the body and state that a direct perception of the reality of these subtle aspects can be given to aspirants with the aid of the guru (spiritual teacher) and bhakti yoga (devotion). The chapter is closed by stating that kaivalya (aloneness or freedom) is attained when the oneness of the individual self (aatman) and the universal self (paramaatman) is realized.

Throughout the book, Sri Yukteswarji has quoted from the Bible to support his comments and explanations and to bring out the idea that the essence of these scriptures is actually one. These ideas can be used to further strengthen and deepen our meditations.

Sadanand Tutakne

Hidden Dangers Explained by Del Pe

Many of us might have heard of possible negative effects associated with meditation or other yogic practices and the great ones sometimes do mention in their writings which techniques they feel are safe and which might need expert advice. However, often the reader is simply advised to learn certain lessons only from a guru, and there is no clear understanding about what these side effects could be, i.e., what risks we run when we take up more advanced practices without consulting experts and what we might need to do to solve such problems if we are unlucky enough to have to face them. Del Pe's book, "Hidden Dangers of Meditation and Yoga" fills this big vacuum in a remarkably simple and satisfactory way. Not only does Del Pe mention several kinds of potential hazards, he also gives an outline of typical solutions he and his organizations have been providing to people who face such problems. As an aid to understanding, he even classifies the hazards into different categories before outlining typical solutions, and adds letters received from his clients worldwide about their issues and how the solutions offered helped them. 

Before going into these, however, I would like to add that to me, this book remains first and foremost a book on meditation. Dozens of different meditation practices have been outlined in the book with notes related to safety aspects. Moreover, lots of deeper ("esoteric") aspects of yoga have been explained in the simplest language. Chakras (subtle energy centres in the body), koshas (outer garments of the soul, if we may call them that), the astral world, the soul, the spirit and the cable of light connecting them are all discussed wherever needed to explain the practices. What's more, these subtle aspects are not bedtime stories for Del Pe - rather, it seems all these are realities experienced by Del Pe himself, as real to him as the physical world is to us. This added assurance makes the book a most wonderful read, adding that extra power to its logical and business-like style of explaining everything carefully, briefly and without mystification and obscuring. 

1. Psycho-spiritual problems: These include a variety of problems from foreseeing mostly negative events to being "spacey" and unmindful to experiencing "karmic purging", in which negative life experiences seem to increase after the practitioner starts his meditation or yogic practice. Problems like mindlessness or developing some personality defects like arrogance due to psychic powers are easier to correct by proper exercises and guidance and perhaps not as harmful from the health point of view. Some others - like foreseeing accidents accompanied by constant mental anguish or development of other powers accompanied by various negative effects like insomnia and inability to shut-off the clairvoyant impressions when needed - seem to require a deeper understanding of which chakras got over-stimulated, and how best to control the unwanted development. Similarly, karmic purging might mean simply that some hidden negative karmas or tendencies have been brought-up for cleansing, and going through the experiences will quicken spiritual growth ultimately. By consulting experts like Del Pe, practioners can find a way to continue cleansing the negative karmas which are being brought up by the practice, without having to go through unwanted suffering physically and mentally. The rising kundalini gives power. Misdirected (due to blockages in chakras, etc.), the power can get wasted in many ways. Directed well, it can cleanse the system and lead to true understanding of subtle laws, powers and truths. 

2. Physical and Vitality related side-effects: This incudes a variety of problems like feeling coldness even in warm climates, over-exhaustion, over-sensitivity to light, sounds, smells, etc., feeling of brittle or hard bones, pains in various parts of the body, overstimulation of the lower chakras and even enhancement of cancer due to overheating of the system with energy. Once again, many of these stem from over-stimulation of particular chakras, and experts can help understand the exact path that should be followed to bring things back to normal. The general idea seems to be that exercises and meditation routines, if done safely with the right preparations, would not typically cause worrisome or painful side-effects. Therefore, if a practitioner faces such issues, they should consult an expert, rather than assume that all such pains are necessary parts of the path they have chosen. People are different in many ways - body-types, mindsets, habits, cultural sensitivities, etc., and the exact path to be taken should be sensitive to that. 

3. Wrong combination or sequence of techniques: One common reason for this issue is the over-zealousness of the practitioner. People want to use a powerful and highly effective method and are therefore prone to changing techniques without regard to the safety aspects which advanced teachers keep in mind when teaching. Advanced pranayams, advanced practices to awaken the kundalini, etc., can be found in the literature and it is quite natural that people would be attracted to them since they are recognized as such. Such practitioners would do well to go through Del Pe's guidelines in this regard. For example, he says, it is good to first awaken the divine light by chakral breathing or mantra chanting, because this divine light regulates the powerful effects of the kundalini fire. Next, the heart center should be activated and purifying breathing exercises like kapalbhati should be practiced before awakening the kundalini. By understanding the effects of each kind of meditation on the physical and energy bodies, experts can help practitioners stay safe while working with the advanced techniques too. 

4. Predispositions of Oriental and Occidental practitioners: In general, Del Pe finds the oriental types to be more heart-centered while the occidental types are more intellectual and practical. Neither is inherently a problem, but what this means is that different approaches might suit these two different types. Then again, even within the same race/type, there are different predispositions within different sub-races and sub-types. As for the practices, their general effects might be well-known, but there can be important qualifications to those effects (e.g., kundalini awakening exercises in presence of cancer or drug addiction could be a problem, or even simpler, jogging could affect your knees if you are overweight and strain your knees in trying to get thinner). 

5. More Esoteric Dangers: These include issues like intolerance and a feeling of uneasiness or being misplaced (because of actual development of the auric powers), higher sensitivity to negative occult energies which create mental distress, etc. The solutions differ, of course, based on the nature of the problem. For unwanted channeling of occult powers, it is recommended that meditators seek divine protection and learn ways to shield their auric energies and try to avoid meditating in places known to have an excess of negative energies. For problems in family and social dynamics, other steps are encouraged, like better communication, introducing the family gradually to the details of the practices, certain physical exercises (like doing squats) to ground oneself better after meditation, etc. The last one - is a rather simple sounding practice, but highly recommended by Del Pe for people who are prone to "stay in ecstasy" mentally even when its time to get to regular daily work. As he explains in another context, the non-alert mind can sometimes cause accidents, so it is best not to dwell too much on the feelings of meditative joy and ecstasy when the body is back to regular physical work. Del Pe clarifies that many practitioners worldwide are affected by this seemingly natural problem, and he provides simple solutions like doing light exercises after meditation to get out of it. 

Before closing, once again, I would like to clarify that the book still does not come across as a negative for meditation and yoga, although the title might arouse such a feeling. While safety and checking back with experts is recommended highly by Del Pe, the detailed instructions on several alternative techniques and the explanations of related occult details are enough evidence that the book is meant to promote meditation and yoga, not to take people away from it. The next time we receive a set of exercises or routines from a recognized expert, we should keep in mind Del Pe's view, that such routines provided by the masters even keep our safety in mind and do not recommend what we are not really ready for. For people who face any trouble, there is a Del Pe "army" of trained experts to help us too, as long as we just ask. So we can now meditate fearlessly, and understand more easily. There is no need to give up meditation or yogic practices. 

Sadanand Tutakne 

Bhakti is not mere emotionalism - so what is it?

When discussing matters spiritual, there is often the question whether it would have been better to simply have love in one's heart and not go for too many intellectual discussions. Proponents of this view include people who are aware of the dangers of mere emotionalism too. By the term love or devotion (or, Bhakti) they are not speaking of the "natural love for matter" which is often blinding and not liberating. Rather, they seem to be thinking more about an idea mentioned in the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna says that the path is more difficult for people attached to the idea of the absolute, implying that devotion to a personal God is relatively easier. At this point, if you are elated thinking that the easier path has now been officially sanctioned, I would again like to remind you that this love being spoken of by Lord Krishna is not as easy as the simple love for material possessions and luxuries of life which comes naturally to most of us. Once this is kept in mind, then yes, we can feel good about the fact that we don't have to completely transcend all emotion in one go. As someone has said, the natural love of the heart can be directed towards God, and that can be a beginning. All the major paths have a special place for this feeling of devotion as an instrument for attaining perfect knowledge and for the Bhakti margis (followers of the path of bhakti), this devotion is not only the means but also the end, as per Swami Vivekananda. 

So what all constitutes this path of Bhakti? In the 3rd volume of "The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda," we find a detailed explanation of what all constitutes Bhakti as per Swamiji. As expected, Swamiji refers to several scriptures and also adds comments of his own, as appropriate. A brief on my understanding of that writing is as follows. 

We might classify bhakti (devotion) into the lower (gauni) and the higher (para). The words preparatory and supreme might be more appropriate, perhaps. At an advanced stage, the distinctions between the paths of devotion, knowledge and work tend to disappear, but at a preparatory stage, we can see some differences. It seems that the simple understanding in people is true at least for preparatory stages - that bhakti is more from the heart, using love and devotion to God as the instruments, while Jnana (knowledge) is more from the intellect, with conscious thought and will power based on conscious reflection on spiritual matters playing a larger role. That does not mean that the heart is immediately given up by the Jnani or the intellect is immediately given up by the bhakta. Just that the weights differ somewhat. 

The God of the Jnani and the God of the Bhakta are one. One might like to describe him as the trinity of pure "existence-knowledge-bliss", while the other might want to think of him as "of his own nature, inexpressible love." Authorities have debated on whether the aspirant, after realizing God, also gains the powers to create and destroy universes, or whether that power remains exclusively with God. There have also been some discussions on whether individuality remains after realizing God or whether that is not possible. As per Swamiji, the Advaita school of thought says that that choice remains with the aspirant. As for the ultimate powers to create and destroy universes, the scriptural discussion suggests that perhaps the ultimate power lies with God alone. However, Swamiji also mentions that as per the Advaita school, the aspirant realizes hiimself/herself as one with everything (God) in a non-dual way. So I am left with the feeling that if all wills merge, is there a "governing will" of God that remains, or are we all one with God? Maybe we can say either, and it is perhaps not a major point for Swamiji. In any case, looking for powers of this kind was not the way of the Swamis. 

The aim of bhakti is indeed spiritual realization and a guru is essential. Books cannot convey the needed spiritual impulse to quicken spiritual awakening. That must come from another soul. Both the teacher and the student need to be qualified. Purity, thirst for knowledge and perseverence are required of the student. As for the teacher, besides being sinless and without ulterior motives, he/she much know the essence or the spirit of the sciptures (not just the words). 

A teacher in human form is a blessing. From ancient times up until now, teachers in human form have typically given students mantras (specific words intended to quicken awakening) to recite. Words are powerful symbols, and express a particular view of God and creation. Once we keep in mind that all of these are different aspects of the same God, it is clear that meditating on any of these seed words would be helpful on the path. 

Such symbols are required by beginners to focus their minds. As long as we keep in mind that the image or symbol being worshipped stands for the Great One, and we use these symbols to keep our minds on Him, these images and symbols are not only helpful but even required in one form or the other. 

The ideal of worship can be any form of God, but the bhakta does not deny other forms just because it is not his/her chosen form. Rather, the bhakta maintains love for all, while holding his own ground firmly. 

For the method in the preparatory stages, Swamiji quotes the requirements mentioned by Sri Ramanuja in his commentary on the Vendanta Sutras. The preparations required are discrimination, controlling the passions, practice sacrificial work, purity, strength and suppression of excessive joy. A very clear discussion of these preparatory practices is found in these writings. 

For example, on the physical aspects of "discrimination", Swamiji accepts that some foods would be better suited for a person's spiritual practices, but finds it disgusting how this idea has been taken to an extreme by some people, who have "driven religion entirely to the kitchen". Similarly, where mental strength is required for perseverant efforts in this direction, physical strength (fitness) is also required otherwise the body might not be able to tolerate the shock of control and reversal of some natural impulses and tendencies. Practices like non-violence are very important, and the test of non-violence is the absence of jealousy. Suppression of excessive mirth is important too, else the aspirant might become completely incapable of any serious thought.  

The above are preparations. When the devotee starts getting settled (firm) in devotion, the supreme kind of devotion starts. Renunciation is the backbone of this higher devotion too - much like we might expect it to be in the path of knowledge. Just that the path is, still, more from the heart. The renunciation stems from love for all and love for God who is in all. Swamiji says that the path of knowledge has its highs (being direct and willed), but also runs the risk of the intellectual misinterpreting the scriptures for his personal gains. Such risks are fewer in the gentler path of devotion, he says, since the devotee does not look for the lofty heights of the path of knowledge in the first place. 

The supreme devotion starts manifesting is many different forms. Some turn away from all discussions other than those of God, one step above simple reverence. Others attain to amazing heights of universal love, where even the serpent becomes a messenger of God. In this love, there is no bargaining (i.e., selfishness), no fear and no rival (i.e., the attention is totally on God, with no rivals). The simplest form of this higher bhakti is that of calm devotion (shanta bhaava). Above that is the daasya bhaava (the feeling of being God's humble servant). Further above that is the sakhya bhaava, or seeing God a a friend. Even above that is vaatsalya bhaava, or looking at God as one's child, and finally we have the madhura bhaava, or simply, sweetness. Looking at God as one's child is not simply about indulging in paternal/maternal feelings, rather, it is a state where the devotee continues to care for God, but without the idea of power. There is no expectation of return there - not even the feeling of awe of being related to God and that is because God is then not a "power" from which the aspirant wants to derive some material gains. 

All-in-all, the path of bhakti is indeed the path for all in that it does not require immediate dispassion through intellectual resolve. The heart's natural love can be directed and cultivated to bring about the state of supreme devotion. However, this does not mean that renunciation, or control of passions is not a key idea on this road. Bhakti is not mere emotionalism. Just that since the renunciation comes out of love for God, the path is not that of dry or harsh intellectualism. 

Modern Day Miracles told by Swami Rama

If you felt that yogic miracles were a thing of the distant past, Swami Rama's book - Living with the Himalayan Masters - would come as a pleasant surprise, and more. For those beginning to lose faith, it could be a new boost to their enthusiasm with the description coming from someone who saw these things happen right in front of him and frequently "to him". See, for example, these events described by Swami Rama in the book. 

1. Swami Rama's paramguru (guru's guru) who lived in a cave in Tibet once demonstrated to him and some of his brother disciples the art (or science?) of making the body vanish and then make it reappear once again. It seems once the constitution of the body is deeply known, masters can work with it and make it change form and thereby disappear and reappear at will. Swami Rama and a bother disciple had taken the pains to travel all the way to the cave in the Tibetan mountains and it was a a fine reward for them to see the paramguru demonstrate for them.  

2. A 92 year old "Mohammedan tantric" - a maulavi who used to lead prayers in a mosque in Medanipur (WB) - demonstrated to Swami Rama how he could take and give life back to a hen at will, just by throwing a few seed at a thread which was tied to the hen at one end and to a banana tree at the other. A few seeds thrown at the string with some mantras chanted silently took the life from the hen and Swami Rama tested this by keeping the hen under water for more than five minutes. Later, the tantric brought the hen back to life by repeating the same trick - a few more seeds thrown at the thread with some mantras chanted silently. 

3. A kind-hearted monk once gave Swami Rama a mantra by which he could climb a tree and take honey from a beehive - without any interruption from the bees. The mantra worked for Swamiji and he had been warned that the mantra would not work for anyone else, but sometime later, he put the monk's words to test by giving the mantra to someone else. As predicted, the man who climbed up instead of Swami Rama was stung by many bees and could barely escape with his life. 

4. Swamiji once took a solemn oath to give up his life rather than begging for alms to maintain his body while practising his sadhana (spiritual practices). As the days went by, his body grew weaker and weaker but his resolve was strong and he continued with his sadhana. After many more such days when he had started to feel that it was all over, a Goddess-like form came up from the river nearby and gifted him with a bowl that would bring him the needed food whenever he wanted. Swamiji used that bowl for many years, he writes in the book, and gave it up to the waters of the holy river only when he felt that the bowl had become more of a distration than a help to devotees who came to his ashram for spiritual guidance and meditation. 

5. Devraha Baba, a monk he saw in northern India, had been seen around in those parts for decades looking his same 70-year old self. His age was estimated to be over 150-200 years. Swami Rama says that some very famous dignitaries in India have also testified to having seen the old Devraha Baba stay his elderly self since their childhood up to their old age. He just never seemed to age. 

6. Some monks used to impress young Swami Rama by showing him their powers. Swamiji sometimes felt impressed and once even learnt the art of materializing objects from one such monk. The monk had earlier impressed Swamiji by producing for him the dinner of his choice from two different hotels in London and somewhere in Germany. Swamiji learnt the trick and it seems he used it for a while to obtain sweets for himself. One day, he was slapped by a monk from his own monastery and taken to his own guru. There he was informed that this particular trick of his amounted to mere theft because the sweets were being somehow teleported from regular sweet shops at his command and the owners of the shops had no clue where the missing sweets went. Sinced there was no payment being made to the owners of the shops, the trick - no matter how sophisticated - amounted to theft. He was asked to stop the practice immediately. It seems there are advanced ways of producing objects (even replacing or repairing a severed arm or leg) which do not constitute teleporting from someone's shop or stealing from someone's home. Rather, they are a result of the 

advanced yogi knowing the processes and the laws of creation, which makes him/her capable of actually putting the basic "photons" together to produce things at will. Paramahamsa Yogananda has said in many places that the world is just a materialization of God's "thoughts". However, this particular trick was not such and Swamji was therefore asked to give it up. 

Among other things like the transformation of selected people from routine wordly roles into true renunciates, stories of miracles and his meetings with saints like Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi, etc., the book also describes how Swami Rama himself, after practicing under his guru (Bengali Baba as he was called) for many years, once threatened his guru to either bestow the supreme bliss of samadhi on him on that very day or to see him drown himself in a river. To his heart's satisfaction, his guru agreed to give him the experience immediately and so Swamiji did not have to drown himself on that day. 

Swami Rama is very much a contemporary figure, the years of his physical birth and death being, respectively, 1925 and 1996. He had a medical degree from India and is said to have worked with scientists to establish the scientific basis for yogic practices. It is said that he was among the first few yogis to allow himself to be examined by scientists. He was internationally known and awarded for his contributions to society, but as per some websites, the last few months of his life were filled with accusations of sexual harassment and even assault from women against the Swami himself and against his Institute too. However, the same websites also attest to his powers to control his brain waves, his telekinetic abilities, etc. 

If the contents of this book are partly false, then it would definitely betray the emotions invested in it by many. If true, however, then this is an account which has the potential of helping people regain faith, and work towards the great goal - not use of superhuman powers, but the seeking of spiritual truths too. At least until we know the truth, I suggest we forgive ourselves and take the positives from the book. 

Sadanand Tutakne

More Stories - The Spiritual Eye and the Battle of Kurukshetra

While we are still in the introverted state, let us also look at another great spiritual object - the third (or, spiritual) eye. In several of his essays, Paramahamsa Yogananda has tried to explain what the spiritual eye really is. 

The spiritual (or, single) eye seems to reside in a subtle, spiritual centre inside the medulla oblongata. The medulla is where the brain meets with the spine. This spiritual eye, he says, has the power to perceive all the higher dimensions as well, besides the physical. This is accomplished via three rays or lights which, when penetrated in deep meditation, help the yogi know the three wolds. In deep meditation, he says, a reflection of this spiritual eye can be seen in between the eyebrows as a single, circular eye with three layers of color. 

The outermost is a golden ring, which in deep meditation, shows the yogi the minutest of the details of the material world as required (atoms and other subtleties of the physical world are not hidden to the one who sees through the spiritual eye). Inside the golden ring is a ring of purple or blue, which, when used in deep meditation, gives knowledge of the universal intelligence of God, the Christ consciousness or Kutastha Chaitanya. The third and innermost is a white coloured five pointed star, which gives the yogi the knowledge of the vibration-less state of God, even beyond the Kutastha chaitanya. Through this spiritual eye, then, all the higher dimensions of reality are made known to the practitioner, including the astral and causal worlds. 

Yoganandaji agrees that in the initial stages, most of us find it difficult to attain the state of calmness of breath and mind required for deep meditation, but then, that's what the Mahabharata was all about! Although that is yet another story, let me go into an outline of it here. 

According to Paramahamsaji, the Mahabharata very much contains a deep spiritual symbolism, and in fact, the symbolic meaning of the story is so important to him, that he has written his two volumes on the Gita (called God Talks with Arjuna: The Bhagavad Gita) with this symbolism as the backbone of the explanations. As you might expect, each character stands for a subtle aspect of our spiritual anatomy, and the battle is all about making the practitioner give up aspects which prevent his progress towards God, meditation and true understanding. For example, the five Pandavas are the five basic elements of creation, which govern five of the seven chakras in the human body. Dhritarashtra represents the blind sense-mind, and the Kauravas represent material desire, anger and all the outgoing propensities of the sense-organs and organs of action. Drona represents samskara - or the power of habitual tendencies - and is thus the teacher of both the Pandavas and Kauravas. 

While Yoganandaji does not deny that epics like the Mahabharata are typically found to be consistent at several levels, he is less concerned about the simple physical interpretation of the story. In other places, he agrees that a righteous war is sometimes a practical necessity of our times,  but that does not mean that his heart did not weep for the seemingly unnecessary killing and hurting that is involved in wars. In the two volumes of his Gita commentary, these outer meanings of the Mahabharata are left behind, and the focus is almost totally on the symbolism, and on bringing out the details of the kundalini, the chakras, the need for restraining unregulated senses for meditation, and on the subtler realms which slowly get opened up as meditation makes the aspirant more and more aware of these realities via the spiritual eye. 

In fact, it is the three rays of the spiritual eye which (through a complicated process) get transformed into the human body. The golden rays of cosmic energy are predominant in blood, the blue rays are dominant in the grey matter of the brain, and the white rays are predominant in the inner, white matter of the brain. If you believe Paramahamsaji, then it is clear from these writings that it is not Man who has created God in his image, but God who has created Man in His image. To know this, though, the battle of Kurukshetra might need to be fought valiantly and won. Peace!

Sadanand Tutakne

Carry your rope with you everywhere

I am increasingly getting convinced that nervousness, anxiety, restlessness and the like are to be dealt with by constancy of practice (of meditation, exercise, etc.). In other words, for some of us like myself, thought cannot create a solution by thinking and probing. Sometimes the thinking only complicates the problem by making one feel that the task is too difficult and involves all the problems of the world but more often, the mind just cannot find the time and energy to go into it all and find an analytical solution. 

Instinct, however, throws up an age-old solution - where constancy is missing, create one for yourself! Think of it this way. If you found yourself in a state of mental flux where external things always looked uncertain/transient and therefore created anxiety and nervousness frequently, how would you find the peace of constancy of anything in life? If you got money but did not get respect, or got respect but just could not get money, how would you face the uncertainty given that the mind wants something it can hold on to? To the reader of Yoga philosophy, instinct throws up an age-old solution - maintain the sanctity of your practice and keep at it. It is like a rope you carry around with you which which you tie yourself to the centre (or creator) of the universe mentally, so that wherever you go, you know you have something permanent - the rope! As you slowly push yourself into the exercise room and begin shaking your hands and feet (or start your deep breathing), the mind gets diverted away from the thoughts of uncertaintly and brings in new chemicals which create the needed security. From here,  even rational thinking and creating some rational solutions seems more do-able.

Patanjali mentions nine "antaraayas" or impediments to progress in yoga. Swami Vivekananda has translated the nine as - Disease, mental laziness, doubt, lack of enthusiasm, lethargy (I think physical), clinging to sense enjoyments, false perception, non-attaining concentration falling way from the (concentrated/meditative) state when obtained. The next sutra says that non-concentration is accompanied by grief, mental distress, shaking (tremor) of the body and irregular breathing. To get out of these antaraayas, Patanjali mentions several alternatives: 

1. Focus on a single subject

2. Certain behaviours - like friendship towards the happy (sukha), mercy towards the unhappy (dukhi), gladness in the face of good (punnya) and indifference in the face of evil (apunnnya). 

3. By proper exhalation and restraint of breath

4. Certain kinds of meditations like on the tip of the nose, etc., which bring perceptions of good smells and thereby console and focus the mind

5. By focusing on the great light in the heart

6. By meditating on a holy person who has given up all attachment and is therefore eternally peaceful

7. By meditating on the knowledge that comes in sleep

8. Or, by meditating on anything that appeals to one as good. 

In all this, somehow Patanjali never speaks of getting together with people to create an even better world for yourself where these problems would not arise. The Gita and most yoga books do speak of finding a clean and peaceful environment with no major hazards where the yogi can meditate, but that's about it. Further and further improvements to the external ennvironments might be possible, but they are not the focus of the yogi. The yogi creates his permanancy for himself, by faith in his exercise routine. Then, as the books say, shraddha (faith) nurtures the yogi like a benevolent mother.  

If you find time, read Yogananda's essays on Probing the Core of Nervousness and Ridding the Consciousness of Worry. And don't forget the advice from university days - "take the material seriously!" Peace be with you. 

Sadanand Tutakne

The One Track Mind

In brief, it seems spirituality requires reminding oneself of more than one thing being important in life. It doesn't work to have a one-track mind. 

What I mean by that is that often, we have a single virtue dominant on our minds as the one and only one important thing - at least for that moment. However, we feel completely isolated when we find that our views are not being reflected back by others with the same intensity as we would have expected. Take, for example the idea of not hurting anything or anyone. This is to be practised in thought, word and deed, and very often, the advanced seekers tell us that the thought part is even more important. So this becomes a challenging and tough goal and the mind builds other thought structures keeping this one as the highest. In all this work, which takes time and effort, it is often forgotten that someone else might have created his/her life around a  similar high - but different - principle. For example, pridelessness. Now one would want to believe that the two are the same, but in terms of the kinds of behaviours and thoughts they lead to, are they? 

So after a long time of adversity (in terms of views not really matching, etc.), one might discover that the other was as "great" an endeavour as one's own. Probably, this would happen when one would go to the books to learn why "they" behave the way they do. And what do the books say? 

Take for example the description of knowledge in the Gita (chapter 13). It is characterized by not one but several virtues, including tolerance, non-violence, pridelessness, restraint from sense objects, enthusiasm, respect for teachers, cleanliness, stability of mind and yet others. All of these are imporant to have, it seems, as per the author of the Gita. 

Patanjali's sutras and commentaries on it are quite clear that memory has a great role to play. It is very much to be used as an aid, to drive the body and mind into the right direction when it goes astray. The one track mind, focusing on only one virtue is far from astray in that sense, but it is also forgetting something. Of course, a simple, practical student cannot start with everything in his/her mind and memory right from the beginning and to that extent, it is perhaps better to at least start with a "one track mind" rather than never starting at all! However, that does not mean that the same mind cannot start remembering more things as more things get revealed to it in self-study (or formal instruction). As we see that other virtues also have at least a place in all this, and as we remind ourselves of the fact that these other virtues are also good, we can start thinking of moving out of the one-track mind, to even greater multi-trackness. Old habits die hard, but keep in mind that the old is not to be given up. One more is to be added to the list, to continuously make progress. 

Sadanand Tutakne

The Fast Processor of the Heart

In this piece, I am backing away from my stand as an informer, and I am more asking a quesion than pretending to give an answer. Most of us in the corporate sector would have, by now, seen the relevance of this question in our day-to-day work. When it comes to making decisions, we have, on the one hand, the "fast processor of the heart," or the slow, but more articulate decision system of the brain. One gives us speed and is typically in line with what we want, while the other gives us social respectability, by giving us a more articulate and reproducible way of taking decisions, since everything is logged properly - just that this second process is typically slower. 

One might also ask - which is better, or, which is our Dharma - to follow the heart or to follow the slower analytical procedure of the brain. 

Some of us would be very glad to know that Swami Vivekananda has also commented on this issue. In some essays, he says that when the brain and heart are in conflict, follow the heart. This heart, of course, should be one filled with the highest of our aspirations. In other places, he says that everything should be subjected to truthful analysis, but if analysis does not lead to good definite conclusions that we can folow, then it is best to go by the heart. 

It seems to me that the key to understanding the various opinions on this topic is to understand the 3 basic distinctions of consciousness that philosophers (including Vivekanandji) often follow. The lowest is sub-conscious activity, next is conscious activity and then we have a third, which can be called super-conscious. Needless to say, there would be even finer classifications in the literature, but we need not go into those here. The point is, that conscious activity is considered higher that sub-conscious, but then, super-conscious activity remains supreme. 

To the extent that rational analysis helps take man away from the bestial (dark/tamasic) tendencies of laziness and ignnorance, and "lights those areas up," rational analysis is preferred. In practice, however, mmost of us would have seen that we find ourselves unable to think and analyze each and every decision. We feel that the factors to be taken into account are nearly infinite, and it seems practically impossible. Here is where we can consciously choose the  "fast processor of the heart," knowing that we are doing so due to our practical limitations which we will slowly try to overcome, and not hating ourselves for it. Remember that the Gita also asks practioners to not hate the state of the mind when "pravritti" dominates - rather, the two states of illumination (prakaash) and pravritti are to be treated with equanimity, without hankering after either kind of experience. Therefore, practical limitations to our abilities to think need not cause us distress. 

On the other hand, Swamiji (and I'm sure many others) have cautioned us against stopping at reasoning as the last step too. They are clear that the goal of mankind is to transcend limited memory-based reasoning, and reach the super-conscious realms of life, where all things will be viewed in a new light. Swamiji seems to have told his disciples that while the super-conscious transcends rationality, it does not contradict it. Also note what Sri Aurobindo says in Life Divine. He also brings up the description of the highly illumined state in the Gita - "buddhi-graahyam ateendriyam" - which means something which the buddhi can grasp, but neverthess transcends the sense organs. To explain, Sri Aurobindo brings up the analogy of highly researched  conclusions. He says, that the conclusions we derive from advanced rational analysis are "based" on sensory inputs, but they transcend the inputs by far. Animals with no reasoning abilities would be completely unable to grasp what such a rational, well thought-out conclusion is. Similarly, says Sri Aurobindo, is the illumination of the super-conscious. It transcends the indriyas by far, but that does not mean that the buddhi cannot grasp it. 

So, there seem to be super-conscious realities above ordinary states of consciousness which are attainable, and therefore, we are urged to go beyond ordinary logical reasoning and reach the superconscious levels - where ordinary reasoning is probably just not required.  However, this is not the same as the lower, sub-conscious state where reasoning is not used because of lethargy, dullness, sorrow, or some other reason which makes us move "in darkness." To the extent that it is possible, we are encouraged to remove the darkness (and even bring sub-conscious activities like digestion under our conscious control!). However, where not possible, we need not hate the state of darkness as long as efforts are on to remove it. 

The fast processor of the heart is also a gateway to these higher realms. Of course, we are not talking here of the lazy heart, but the heart merged in Brahman, so to speak. In fact, the heart used to be the main center for concentration advised to spiritual seekers earlier. So at this level, the heart-brain struggle acquires a different meaning - which is the better centre to focus on, to attain to states beyond ordinary reasoning. A pure heart is a must, it seems, in all these endeavours. So let's not ignore the heart because we associate it with fast but dark decisions. The intellect must also strive to keep the hheart pure if the gateway to the super-conscious is to be opened. 

Now-a-days, other centres includng the ajna chakra between the eyebrows and perhaps yet other centres are also accepted and advocated by advanced teachers. However, concentration on these centres still needs to be accompanied by a pure heart, by some faith, etc., just like the child has to accept his teacher for some time before he can test scientific theories in the laboratory himself. 

Therefore, let us not get restless because we are currently in avidya, and need to use the fast processor in day-to-day activities. Let's recall that even the Upanishads say - avidyayaa mrityun teervaa - i.e., death is to be first transcended by going through avidya (ignorance). In other words, maybe all means, includng sitting for meditation, are part of ignorance (avidya), but even the Upanishads declare that death is to be first conqured by using this ignorance in the right way, and only then does something or someone take us to the nectar (amrita) of knowlede (vidya) and immortality. 

Sadanand Tutakne

A Relaxing Meditation on the Koshas

When you feel the need to, try this simple relaxing meditation. I have no qualifications to prescribe this as a
"medicine" or "treatment" for anyone and I am no expert in meditation techniques either. So please just relax and think of me as a friend speaking to you casually here. Follow the steps only if you feel its okay to. 

They say the soul is encased in five sheaths (koshas) and therefore, these sheaths need to fall off (transcended in some way) for the practitioner to get in tune with the soul, which is itself supposed to be an individualized ray of the universal, one, "spirit". The story of the "lokas" (seven swargas and seven patalas) is similar. As the practioner advances, these successively finer and higher dimensions - the seven swargas - start opening up for him/her, it is said. For the meditation, let's just try to recognize the koshas.

The outermost kosha of the soul is called the Annamaya kosha, the sheath of the outer body, called thus because it is made from "food". This is easy to recognize. Recognize it and know that to be the annamaya kosha.

The next is called Praanamaya kosha, or the energy body. We know this too. Recognize it as your energy body. A deep knowledge of this kosha could give the aspirant various powers to work with the energies of the body, but that's quite a different meditation. For relaxing, just forget about those powers for now.

The next is Manomaya kosha, or the sheath of the mind (sense organs). We know we have sense organs and the mind is often pursuing the objects of the senses. Recognize this to be the next covering of the soul.

The next is called Jnanamaya kosha, or the sheath of knowledge/intelligence. This is the part of us which can
discriminate between right and wrong. Understand this to be another covering of the soul.

The final one - the foremost and the closest to the soul, if one may say so - is the Anandamaya kosha, or the covering of joy. This joy is higher than the pleasure of the senses, but recognize this joy to also be a covering
of the real.

So who or what is the soul? Is it the child of God or His reflection? Or is it unborn and one with the universal
spirit? That is the part which is difficult to describe. Volume after volume has been written on this ultimate witness of human activity (Upanishad after Upanishad). All speak of it in different ways and yet all agree that it is difficult to put it in words and "indescribable". It is said that this is who we really are.

Whether or not you agree to that, a whole lot of us will agree, however, that if we want to do something, even if it gives us a good feeling deep within, it is good to try to understand if the action is right or wrong. To
understand that, we might need to know who and what gets affected by the potential action. We need to collect this information using whatever tools we have, and pass the information back on to intelligence to process right or wrong. An action that passes this test will most probably give us deep satisfaction.

The soul can probably stay its old, loving self in all situations, witnessing everything with the same understanding all the time. That's because all these are tools of the soul - the soul is not a tool of these others. This understanding is the source of joy and will bring about the required relaxation everywhere.

Sadanand Tutakne

Krishnamurti on What We can do in this World

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hkx1njE95fs

As per Krishnamurti, the question of human responsibility is not easy, but it can be understood by starting with some basics which we need to ingrain in ourselves deeply. Then, we can freely enquire into the question of what our responsibility as a human being is. 

1. The first is the power to observe with deep attention, but without jumping to conclusions, getting depressed, or taking sides. We need to observe things going on in the world, but without merely taking sides or getting depressed, etc. He goes on the describe the world as a place with great advancements in technology, but with uncertainty in the economic and social environment, and with destructive attutides being cultivated the world over through wars and through parochial attitudes - including patriotism, which for Krishnamurti, had turned into nothing but glorified tribalism. 

He clarifies that this observation is different from analysis, and does not necessarily involve tearing things to pieces. Like when we look at a flower - we first notice the sheer beauty of it, and only then does the analysis start. That kind of simple, but deep attention is needed. Later, he goes further and says that even the distance between "what is" and "what should be" is a division which creates conflict. To see with deep attention is to see without conflict, and so, we need the quality of attention where even the difference between the analyzer and the analyzed vanishes, he says. I don't think K ever tries to say that technology or analysis don't have their place in our lives. In fact, he starts with these things as necessities which are of obvious importance. Just that in the field of this larger enquiry on human responsibility, what is needed, he says, is that quality of deep attention where one can see without conflict.  

2. The second prerequisite is to deeply understand the common background that all human beings  share, underneath our divisions of nations, races, etc. This is the common experience of anxiety, sorrow, loneliness, a search for something beyond (whether we call it God or something else), the feeling that our consciousness is uniquely ours, etc. Countries might differ peripherally due to better food or even slightly better governance, but underneath these divisions is the common shared experience of all human beings. Even if our brains refuse to accept it, we must accept the irrefutable fact of these experiences being common to all of us. In that sense, "we are the world" and our problems are more similar than dissimilar. 

He adds that even when we think about what our responsibility is, we tend to think in terms of our individual isolated selves, which is wrong because we are again creating a division which is not deep attention. He says that it is important that people do this enquiry together the entire world over, because otherwise there is a tendency for a lone voice of sanity to get submerged in the confusion and commotion of the rest of mankind.

Once we completely lay down this foundation of observing what's going on without conflict and understand deeply how similar people are in their emotional consciousness (beneath superficial physical differences) then the mind would be ready to enquire into what we can do in this situation of today's.  

Finally, Krishnamurti mentions the power of this deep attention in the context of problems of everyday life. If you are angry, see this anger within yourself without thinking of yourself as being different from the anger and without various such escapist thoughts. In doing this, the mind gets cleaned of anger. If you have been hurt by somebody, look deeply at what the hurt is doing to you (i.e., its consequences), and the "flame of attention" will cleanse the wound. If you are in a relationship, enquire whether it is based mainly on a need or a dependency (rather than on love). Ask whether love is possession or whether attachment is love? All action due to a motive (dependency, need for gratification, etc.), he says, leads to conflict at some level and must end somewhere. Cause-less love, on the other hand, seems to be the one thing which is eternal. 

Sadanand Tutakne

Vivekananda on Idol Worship

(Posted on Facebook the day before Eid)

Eid Mubarak, friends! I thought since it is Eid tomorrow, I would share this comment by no less a person than Swami Vivekananda on idol worship. 

#. We may worship anything by seeing God in it, if we can forget the idol and see God there. We just not project any image upon God. But we may fill any image with that Life which is God. Only forget the image, and you are right enough---for "out of Him comes everything". He is everything. We may worship a picture as God, but not God as the picture. God in the picture is right, but the picture as God is wrong. God in the image is perfectly right. There is no danger there. This is the real worship of God.

Here's one link. In his books, though, Swamiji has also quoted from sciptures too, to tell people that these ideas too, are very ancient and are even found in the Upanishads.

http://greenmesg.org/swami_vivekananda_sayings_quotes/religion-oncept_of_image_worship.php

Krishnamurti on Dealing with Hurt

Friends, I recently saw/heard a video recording of a powerful speech by J. Krishnamurti - the famous one of course. It seems he was saying that if we really pay attention to the hurt we often carry within ourselves, without trying to entertain escapist thoughts that dissipate energy, then we would deeply understand and see what that hurt is doing to us. Then, being intelligent beings, we would run from that hurt (which we have been cultivating) with the same speed as we would run away from a large vehicle that we fear is coming our way to hit us! With that deep an understanding, the (psychological) action would be immediate and the deep attention would burn or "cleanse" the wound (permanently). He adds that a mind with such a "power" of attention becomes "completely incapable of hurt", which is good because a hurt mind is no longer innocent and cannot really explore and understand reality. I don't have the link ready with me but it's there on YouTube if you feel interested. My own feeling is that the message is really powerful, the approach is probably highly practical, very easy, and requires only a little openness to use the method being prescribed. K is not asking anyone to convert or something. There is a method suggested and I believe it deserves an open mind from the listener.

Sadanand Tutakne

The Yoga of the Body and the Yoga of the Mind (or, "The Ignorant only Torture the Nose!")

In a sense, yoga is all about the subtle, with no room for the gross. What I mean is that the highest weightage in yoga is to the subtle, with the gross being an aid or means to getting there. So when we compare external to internal practices, the internal get a higher weightage. Among physical and mental, similarly, the mental dominates. Within a set of mental activities, the subtler are considered more effective - for example, when silently chanting a mantra, it is better if the throat muscles and lips are not moving either, and so on.

While this is agreed to by the prominent texts and their interpreters, it so happens that some texts accept the grosser (physical) aspects more than others and give it a reasonably high level of importance. Sometimes this can create some confusion. Books on Hatha Yoga go into volumes on various ways of controlling different parts of the body (including the breath) and thereby getting to a higher level of preparedness for Raja Yoga. In Raja Yoga, the mind (and working with it) dominates, but in texts like Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the physical preparation still retains some importance. Some physical practices have been indicated as "basics" by Patanjaliji, which could mean that they are "necessary". The same Raja Yoga, when expounded by famous Advaitist texts like "Aparokshanubhuti," becomes almost completely a mental and supra-mental discipline, with the physical preparations of Hatha Yoga accepted only as a support for the relatively weaker willed. For the relatively more mature-minded, only the mental and even higher practices are recommended.

Aparokshanubhuti is ascribed to the great Sri Shankaracharya, the renouned Advaitist guru of medieval India whose commentaries on various scriptures are quoted even today in India by the most learned of scholars. Swami Vimuktananda says that even if its authorship is disputed, the teachngs are definitely Advaitist. So the book is at least from the same school of thought which Sri Shankaracharya is so widely known for.

The book starts out by accepting that the attributes of Brahman mentioned in the scriptures are so different from the attributes of the physical body, that it is clear that the body is by itself, not Brahman. However, it goes on to add that while this is so, emphasising this distinction does not help the greatest of the four objectives of Man - i.e., liberation. (Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha are the four objectives referred to here.) On the other hand, focusing on other famous scriptural declarations like "this whole universe is nothing but Brahman," or "Brahman is indeed the substratum of all varieties of names, forms and actions," we would see that the body too, could not be anything but the Brahman. So the changing body could be viewed as a false perception, like seeing a snake in a rope. An illusion which has its rise and fall in time, but is not an enduring reality. Keeping this in mind would then constitute a great meditation - a meditation on the only true (enduring) reality, and would help in actually realizing that universal consciousness.

Whether due to this philosophical background or due to the direct experiences of the author, the book then goes on to expound the steps of Raja Yoga in a way that places almost all the emphasis on the mental and spriritual aspects - those aspects which are considered advanced in Patanjaliji's sutras and in commentaries on the sutras. The basic preparations of Patanjali (physical and mental disciplines, posture, breathing techniques, etc.) are explained in the following way by Aparokshanubhuti.

1. Yama (mental disciplines): Restraint of all senses is the only yama.

2. Niyama (physical disciplines): The continuous flow of one thought is the only real niyama - and following earlier discussion, it is clear that only thoughts about Brahman are to be encouraged here. There is no importance (or even mention) here of interim "sabija" samadhis, which could, at least in principle, use grosser objects of attention to develop meditative skills in the practitioner.

3. Renunciation, Silence and Space: There is no "lower versus higher renunciation" as in Patanjali's sutras. The only real renunciation comes of a perception of the "Purusha" (pure consciousness), which takes one away from the unreal (transient) world. The only silence is that born of an understanding of the state beyond words and speech. The only real space worth mentioning is the space where Brahman is perceived to exist without past, present or future. So does time also refer to none other than the indivisible Brahman, from who everything has come about.

4. Asana (posture): The only mentionable posture is one in which meditation on Brahman happens naturally and unceasingly. Even Patanjaliji makes no mistake in saying that the main purpose of posture is to sit comfortably to enable meditation, but here, even that much mention of physical comfort is done away with. In fact, the only Siddhasana (a meditative posture in other texts) is a posture that gives consciousness of Brahman - a state known to the adepts.

5. Moola Bandha (root lock): The only real moola bandha is that state of absorption in Brahman which causes the mind to restrain itself from going to objects of attention.

6. Dehasamya (straight posture): Here, there is no talk of keeping the spine erect, etc., which is commonly found in discussions of good posture. When the entire body is homogeneously absorbed in deep meditation on Brahman, dehasamya is said to have been achieved.

7. Focusing attention on the tip of the nose: Absorption in the thought of Brahman is the real focus of (internal) vision. Just looking at the tip of the nose or in that general direction is of no importance.

8. Pranayama (inhalation, exhalation and suspension of breath): The only real exhalation is where thoughts of the phenomenal world are thrown out. The only inhalation is where we take in the reality of our being one with Brahman. The steadiness of this thought is the only real "suspension of breath." The ignorant merely torture the nose.

9. Dharana (fixing attention): As said earlier, fixing attention on grosser objects has no importance and is not even mentioned as a preparatory exercise. The only real dharana is that on the highest universal consciousness. So also for meditation - the only real meditation is that on Brahman. No point discussing meditations on anything lower.

After thus elucidating the steps of Raja Yoga, dismissing all lower (physical) preparations for Raja Yoga as being essentially of no importance, the book suggests that this discipline should be mastered by the practitoner to the point where he/she can use it within an instant, whenever needed. For this mastery, the mind should stay merged in the thoughts of Brahman all the time.

Finally, then, in the second-last shloka, the author clarifies and (reluctantly) accedes that for the less mature, the above practice should be combined with some physical preparations (Hatha Yoga), but comes back in the last shloka to emphasize that for a practitioner with the required maturity of mind, the above alone produce the highest results, speeded by faith in the guru and the dieties (so at least these mature practioners should stay away from grosser aspects of the discipline and focus completely on the finer).

Patanjali's sutras are completely aligned with this on the importance of the higher (mental and spiritual) practices. Just that they do include some of the physical practices as an integral or basic part of the process. The Aparokshanubhuti, on the other hand, is overwhelmingly a Yoga of the Mind, telling us to focus only on the finer aspects, unless we just don't have enough maturity. For the mature-minded (paripakva), there is no point just "torturing the nose."

Sadanand Tutakne

But does all this help me in my daily work?

There are at least 3 different ways in which I believe yoga can help us normal people in our daily lives - i.e., through exercise, awareness and focus.

1. To begin with, some parts of yoga (asanas and pranayama) involve physical exercises, and via TV (Baba Ramdev's extra-political contributions), these parts have become highly popular in India these days. Needless to say, the right kind of exercise at the right time, etc., can help us in various ways. As for the need for expert help, some believe that these exercises are completely harmless, but common sense suggests that before taking up anything strenuous, it might be better to take expert advice. That risk is perhaps common to all kinds of exercise. I believe some research has been done on the helpful effects of Yoga Nidra and other such exercises for different kinds of health issues (cardiovascular problems, diabetes, etc.) and yoga is gaining acceptance as a helpful aid in reducing medication and helping patients manage their ailments better, in general. It seems that part of the benefit is because yoga is also supposed to be a training for the mind, in addition to the body, and that helps patients manage their diseases better, overall.

However, that is not what we typically want to discuss in these kinds of discussions, is it? So let me also go into some of the less researched aspects which give yoga a little mystique and make such discussions more charming.

2. Besides physical exercise, yoga typically involves some training of the mind too and this is likely to help practioners in their daily work as well. The most fundamental of these is the idea of Nivritti or Nirodha, i.e., consciously getting out of, or controlling, the whirlpools of the mind. The impact might depend upon what your daily work is. If your work involves making some important choices each day (or each week, say), then this habit of nivritti for a few minutes every day is likely to provide you with crucial seconds to think from different perspectives and break monotony and its consequences. I believe that yoga can help reduce errors in execution too, but I don't have a research study to support this and it is possible that this is just because of "more oxygen in the right places," etc. Either way, I believe yoga has this effect.

3. This nivritti is also a great stress buster - but that's intuitive, isn't it? Anything that consciously trains the mind to get out of its "rot" on days when it is in misery does this trick. This teaching is integral to yoga. Not integral to performing asanas and exercises, but an integral aspect of the preaching of yoga, i.e., an integral part of the training of the mind in Raja Yoga. Before we jump to put Raja Yoga in a separate box, I would like to draw your attention to Swami Swatmarama's opening shlokas in "Hatha Yoga Pradeepika," where he says more than once that Hatha Yoga is mainly (or, basically) a preparation for Raja Yoga. So let's not put all yoga away by classifying Raja Yoga as a branch dealing with "esoteric aspects," not to be considered the "mainstream" of yoga. What is the importance of stress-busters? I think it will be clearer when I give it the name "dukkha-buster" too. It takes the mind away from dukkha, stress being a common kind of dukkha, a common whirlpool (literally, vritti) of the mind.

4. To end the nivritti discussion, let me illustrate the impact of unconscious living, by which I mean a zombie-like state where the mind is caught-up with something unhappy, and work gets done mostly mechanically. I think the term "going through the motions" says it all. The Bhagawad Gita mentions the following when discussing anger, but I think the jist holds for any emotion that causes the zombie-like state. It says, in chapter 2, that anger causes a mesmerized state of the mind, which, in turn, causes forgetfulness. This kind of forgetfulness (perhaps in its advanced stages) "destroys intelligence", which in turn is the cause of decline of the person / practitioner. By making awareness (or, consciousness) an integral part of the training of the mind, yoga tries to take practioners away from these harmful effects.

5. Renunciation is often misunderstood as being the reason for not paying attention to one's work. However, yoga texts do not advocate taking one's current tasks lightly, and the Gita is a great example of that. In fact, focus is one of the grandest themes in Raja Yoga. Focus, or concentration, when cultivated sincerely, would probably help day-to-day work unequivocally. To go one step further, the highest state of samadhi, called nirvikalpa samadhi, is said to be a state in which all bodily functions can be performed with attention, yet with the mind being in touch with universal consciousness (or, God). Why would anyone speak of these elevated states this way if they thought that daily work should be neglected, or rushed through? Of course, I agree that those who feel that their calling lies elsewhere, should perhaps take that idea seriously and do those other things, but that is not about neglecting. It is very much a positive state of focusing!

If material life was not reconciliable with yoga, could the disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda have created a course titled "Material Success through Yoga Principles"? I have not purchased it, but please feel free to if you are interested. It will be there on the Ananda Sangha website.

Sadanand Tutakne