Transcending the illusion of the opposites

According to J. Krishnamurti, man vascillates between the opposites, but it is only by deeply understanding the illusion of the opposites that we can be free of its limitations and encumbrances. Only then is the mind really free and attentive to the real. The movement is then from the real to the real, not from the known to the known. In the world of opposites, thoughtlessness is inevitable, since the never-ending tussle between the opposites wears the mind down. This perpetuates habit and habitual patterns of thinking, and the mindlessness of habit can clearly not put an end to fundamental problems. Craving, he says, is at the root of this and hence, that also needs to be understood if the development of this illusion is to be understood and transcended. This brings to fore the central question which many of us, not being experts in the teachings of K, would like to ask - what do we mean by the illusion of opposites and how can we understand it deeply and transcend it? The natural question arises from the empirical observation of the extremes, of course. We see some people being tall while others are short. Weather outside is sometimes hot and sometimes cold. The mind is at times happy and sometimes unhappy. Social systems offer a full menu of choices from radical communism to extreme capitalism or individualism. We perceive goodness in the world at times, but perceive evil at times too. Then what is the "illusion" here? Perhaps choices can be made, but what is meant by transcending the opposites? Is this all purely a description of higher states of consciousness and awareness in which these differences seem immaterial? If so, then is this discussion of any help at all to those who have not experienced that higher state of consciousness? 

It turns out that K has talked about this illusion and the way to tackle it in many places. Just search for his views on "opposites" on the internet and see some of the shorter and longer publications which come up. It is not merely a description of an advanced state which is beyond mankind and hence can only serve to further mystify the already confused mind. K has strived, in fact, to soften the impact of the emotional excitement, bewilderment and disorientation people may feel when such "unattainable" states are described to them. For the most part, he avoids pushing people into confusions which can cause agony. His term "illusion" is rather clearly defined and his methods are not totally outside the capabilities of ordinary humans. As in most places, K is not here talking about physical differences in people, technological memory (like how to drive a car), or just the fact of weather-changes having some effect. It is in the psychological domain that he wants us to follow his words. Faced with the fact of anger, greed, doubt, pleasure, attraction to food or clothing, repulsion towards the other social system, or any other similar psychological reality, man "creates" its opposite instantly and habitually starts a war against the basic reality of the moment. Forcing the mind into opposite patterns, expects the suppression of the initial fact to "cure" him and his society. Or, being averse to the idea of suppression, makes a habit of magnifying the initial problem by expressing too much. The conflict between good an evil which results is never-ending and serves no purpose other than to wear people down. Devoid of strength, the mind goes a step deeper into habitual patterns which require no thought. Carelessness and further insensitivity then further enhance the internal conflict and create more misery for the mind, which had created the opposite side hoping that the opposite would cure him of the initial malady and misery. 

This does not mean to suggest that goodness, kindness, calmness or peace are devoid of substance or that they are not part of the same reality which we call ourselves or the world. Only that the peace which was instantly created by mind as a mere habitual response based on tradition and memory was no more than a mental concoction, and hence merely an illusion. Maybe clever, but not in touch with facts and not real. Hence, creating further misery, as per the process outlined above, instead of delivering man from the misery. The entire process of knowledge and accumulated memory participates in this process and ends up being a barrier to awareness of what is, which was not the intention. Hence the need to deeply understand what these opposites truly are, how we create them and why the counterfactual design only breeds dullness (lack of awareness). 

Again, if every reaction is a reflex based on memory, how can we ever solve the problem of anger or evil within ourselves? Is K saying that evil is permanent? No, according to K, observing is the ultimate action in this part of psychology. Observing something puts an end to the thing - memory does not have to then periodically chew the cud regarding the event. Facing the fact choicelessly, the mind sees anger, boredom, habit, sensation and all related processes clearly as they are. The flame of awareness burns or dissolves the initial fact, so memory does not have to grapple with it for eternity. The intention to dig, by itself, does not bring out water from the depths of the earth. We also need the tools to be sharp. Similarly, here, the awareness needs to be without condemnation, justification or judgment. Because all of these processes of memory merely add to the internal conflict and tire the person out. That perpetuates carelessness and brutality. That perpetrates the thinker as separate from thoughts, which is another conflict. Gentle awareness, on the other hand, without pushing for one result or the other, without condemnation or justification, is conducive to understanding the intricate details of the processes of the mind which creates these "illusions", and is the way to the discovery of reality. Of course, the words "the way" indicate a set path and may promote beliefs once again, which is against the intentions of the teachers, but if understood simply, then they can convey the right impressions too. Like land left fallow after a harvest, this choiceless awareness also rejuvenates the mind which is otherwise injured by the constant war of the opposites.

The judging and evaluating mind will want to know whether Patanjali is wrong in mentioning the use of contrary thought as a way to deal with negative impulses (violence, envy, laziness, etc.). Firstly, let's be clear that often, the measuring mind is just an outcome of the desire to dominate a conversation. It seems necessary while the excitement prevails and then feels like a dissipation of energy. Inquiry starting from there may mislead more than help. Then again, there are measurements which even the more serious enquirers may want to consider exploring, so that they may understand. From that perspective, it may be good to consider the fact that Patanjali's recommended use of contrarian thought is as a conscious method, within a larger, integrated system. Done gently and consciously, the contrarian thinking will not make the practitioner lose awareness of the fact of the negative impulses being present. It would promote conscious awareness of all aspects of the mind, which is K's purpose and method. Done forcefully, without awareness of the method as a method, it may create all the illusions of duality that K is arduously trying to take us away from. 

Yet another interesting fact is that Patanjali also differentiates between methods which can help mitigate grosser disturbances and those which can go beyond and lead to complete dissolution of the qualities and aspects of ignorance. Meditation reduces the grosser manifestations of the great ignorance. For further progress, repeated meditation, and the impressions of freedom left on the heart by repeated "successes" in overcoming different limitations via meditation are necessary. Meditation is still perhaps necessary, but it is not sure whether it is sufficient. Or, perhaps it is better to say that meditation on limited objects or forms is not sufficient. Either way, the road to final dissolution is not half as easy to explain as the road to the intermediate successes. At least for the present author right now. K has himself said that truth is a pathless land. Therefore, when pitting the Patanjali view on contrarian thought against this teaching of K, let us keep in mind that Patanjaliji himself was often providing routes to the interim successes - on which, the advanced yogi would have to build further to get to nirbeeja samadhis and full absorption. 

And even after the practical, less mystified, workable part of the teaching has been understood, it is not clear how many of us can even practice this for more than an hour a month or an hour a year! This is why K always reminds us that the word is a symbol, but the word (or the name) is not the thing. It is a pointer, but to know what it points to, we have to walk. The ending of duality, time and the petty thinker may actually mean much more than what we have discussed today - but in speculating too much on the unknown, we perpetrate the processes of duality by hating the simpler aspects of the teaching as the "lower" aspects, which are so less exciting relative to the unknown "higher" aspects. Gently recognizing that suffering as a concoction of the mind, we can proceed to the next step.

Sadanand Tutakne

"Of Mystics and Mistakes" - further revelations by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

First of all, welcome friends to another edition of the spiritual discussions. Other than providing information based on available literature, these sessions satisfy curiosity, provide a channel for "right effort", and not the least - provide us with some time to reflect on what is probably the most sought after question of human life. Naturally, they are likely to leave us with a sense of grandeur, and that's intended too - let's keep in mind that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". However, entertainment is not the sole purpose either. Analogous to entertainment which contains a social message, these discussions also have a higher target. How far that higher purpose is served here may depend upon our attitude and aptitude, but it is hoped that a cheerful and entertaining tone will help all participants gather something from the discussion. For more serious commentary, readers are advised to take the help of any fully self-realized saint close to their heart. 

"Of Mystics and Mistakes" is a relatively recent book of conversations with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a contemporary yogi who needs no introduction to this blog. A "questioner" puts a question, and Sadhguru responds. In the process, the reader is brought into awareness of many most marvelous facts about life and the world. As the first section of the book explains, perception limited to the five sense organs may be acceptable for survival, but proves to be a mistake in the higher order of things, when we step out of this excessive concern with survival and improving further and further on the criterion of survival. The mystics, on the other hand, who have opened themselves to perceptions beyond just the five senses, can strive to get out of the web of this erroneous view. No wonder then, that organizations started by advanced yogis often pursue the explicitly stated purpose of bringing man to a direct realization of these higher-dimensional realities. With advanced perception, some "superhuman" possibilities may also come within the realm of the possible - like Swami Vivekananda who once held a medical book in German in his hand for an hour and could then reproduce any page of it to the doctor he was speaking to. Of course, there is a difference between the development of these powers and spirituality itself, just as there is a difference between pure science and technology (which concerns itself mainly with utilitarian applications). So occult (and occult powers) are mostly like a utilitarian application of some dimensions of reality which people may not ordinarily know of and hence occult is different from the pure science of spirituality, which is what Sadhguru is looking to develop. The main impediment for most people who want to enhance their perception is the chattering mind - i.e., chattering thought and emotions. This includes thoughts to "stop the mind", etc. too, which make the mental process more important than it actually is. Sadhguru asks whether anyone with spiritual aspirations worries about stopping their heart when they come to a spiritual discourse! So instead of cultivating "impossible" attitudes like trying to stop the mind, practitioners may do better to develop the "saakshi" (witness) mind, which can be a simple witness to all thoughts and emotions which arise and fall within the mind. This also brings up the question of how to decide on who is a good guru, given all the trickery in the world. Sadhguru agrees that people should not blindly fall for things and then end up hurt. They should choose very carefully. However, he adds that maybe one way to differentiate the real teachers from the rest is to observe what they demand - if they demand merely money or property, they are probably not worth it; you should only go to places where they demand your life!

The typical yogic idea of focusing on one thing is very helpful. Sadhguru humorously advises that even if you could play the game of being annoyed or angry for all the time, you would reach there. The problem is that we cannot do anything wholeheartedly and stay on it without being distracted. In that sense, "multi-tasking" does not help. The reader may recall that focused attention is the central idea in Patanjali's description of meditation too, although even the act of meditation is later discussed as an "external practice" for nirbeeeja samadhi (seedless samadhi), although it is an integral part of the eight-fold yoga to attain sabeeja samadhi (samadhi with the seed of thought or other object of attention). While thought and emotion are to be kept stable, the rest, he says, must be allowed to run wild, to make it possible for the human form to "break the bubble" and perceive something beyond the ordinary sense-mind. The spiritual process is about developing the intensity required to break this limitation of ordinary consciousness. This, by the way, also includes the "intention of being good and ethical". More evil has been done in this world by people who claim to have been driven by "good intentions", say Sahdguru. Not having the ability to perceive anything beyond themselves, these people had strong convictions and ended up doing horrible things. In this sense, the spiritual process is a bit supra-logical. You cannot always be caught in your own logic - you need to perceive more than that. The process is also not about mastering one particular element or process with the end-result of using it for survival. Mastery over the elements - whether levitation or some other power which is not yet available to common people via technology - is another circus, which Sadhguru says he has wasted two lives working on and is not the goal of spiritual processes. Rather, surrender may be called more the aim here. The overwhelming detail of life makes people feel that mastery over some aspect of nature or physical reality is the ultimate objective. However, like the elaborate dresses of some courtesans in the olden days - which could all be taken off by a single pin which only the courtesan herself knew of - nature's millions of details also turn around a single key, which is the self. Hence, the manner in which individuals take and deal with the developments of surrounding nature are more important that levitation or walking on water. He again laughingly adds that if by walking miles and miles on water, we forgot to walk on land, then we would need to again teach ourselves how to walk on land! This, of course, does not mean that stories about people with marvelous powers are false. Sadhguru has himself seen and known of different yogis with different kinds of powers. Only that he has had enough of it and that mastery of that kind (over one aspect of nature or the other) is not his goal with his disciples. The goal is to help make people truly perceive beyond ordinary life, and with that satisfy the deepest urge (and suffering) in mankind to achieve greater and 

greater degrees of satisfaction. If we could remain "untouched" by life - just as children are - right up to the end of our lives, then the goal would be met. 

This does not, however, mean that Sadhguru would like children to be initiated early into deep meditation, etc. Rather, he insists that closed-eye meditations and perception of higher dimensions of life should not come too early in life, because in the early part of life, the "physical will" in the body is not well-developed. Knowledge of higher dimensions with this base leads to the life force exiting the body early. While some yogis who started perceiving early lived more complete and richer lives that people could imagine, yet, it is a fact that they also left the world much earlier, for one reason or another. It is only after the age of 14 years that the physical will of the body becomes strong, says Sadhguru. Paraashar took his son Veda Vyaasa as a disciple early in life because of Vyaasa's insistence, but he ensured that Vyasa was trained in a lot of physical yogic exercises, so that the physical element in the body would have a strong and healthy will. It is due to this that Vyaasa had his long life, says Sadhguru - which is estimated to be over 340 years by some people. Otherwise, like with Adi Shankaracharya and Swami Vivekananda, a reason to exit early from the physical is easy to find for the child-yogis. There are other such subtle processes working in nature which Sadhguru accepts and explains about in the conversations. One is about the influence of the moon and its cycles. Like the tides in oceans, some physical and subtle processes in man are also related to the cycles of the moon, he says. The full-moon night, for example, is typically soothing and conducive to deeper and peaceful meditations, while the no-moon night is a night when energies are running wild. Therefore, for some kinds of hard penances, he says, the availability of that energy on the no-moon night is helpful. In the supremely famous "dhyaanalinga" temple constructed by Sahdguru, the pancha bhuta araadhanaa (for purification of the five basic elements) is held on the no-moon day. Sadhguru says that the way the five elements are integrated within a person determines many things like the health of the person. With better integration, health and other benefits follow directly and this is the reason for this particular puja. Of course, the cleansing of the five elements is not just for health - it is also a very fundamental and important process in many forms of yoga and is considered by many to be essential for spiritual development. As for how Sadhguru first experienced the higher dimension, Sadhguru mentions what he has on many TV interviews and in other books. Once he rode up to Chamundi hill on his motorcycle and sat there - as was popular amongst youth in those days. Suddenly, as he was just looking, for the first time in his life, everything around him became a part of himself and was extremely alive. The pure bliss of that state was indescribable. He thought he had stayed in that state for only 15 or 20 minutes, but when he looked at his watch, four and a half hours had passed. Similar experiences happened many times after that too, he says, but this was the first experience which truly showed him a unity between what he had until then perceived as "me" and "you" or subject and object. 

With huge scientific and technoloical advances over the past 150 years, we now often see conclusions emerging from science which tell the same story as older yogic teachings or legends which hide deeper meanings within an outer shell of symbolism. Science is now exploring seriously whether there were multiple big bangs instead of one. This is exactly what is conveyed in old tales of Shiva roaring in anger when "Shakti wakes him up" and then rising from his slumber. Shiva roared multiple times. The yogis have always seen the human body as a microcosm which has an imprint of the external cosmos in it. This body has 112 physical chakras or junction points where life energy is coupled with the body. Another two chakras are non-physical, he says. From the body, we know that Shiva can only roar 112 times. Science says 84 of these roars (big bangs) have already happened. What happens after the 112th bang is difficult to describe - it may be in a completely non-physical dimension. Science also suggests that the first form of manifest energy (after the big bang or big bangs) must have been ellipsoidal in nature. Yoga has always maintained the deepest respect for the ellipsoidal form - which is the shape of shiva lingas, which have been misinterpreted by some as being phallic symbols. So will the ultimate form of energy prior to its dissolution into the non-physical be ellipsoidal in form. Oscilloscopes can show the "form" of sound waves - what kind of wave it leads to, the amplitude, frequency, etc. Vedic tradition (and similarly many other ancient traditions) has always described sound and vibration as one of the earliest manifestations, from which all else has manifested. The reader will recall that even science is now coming to the theory that the most basic parts of creation are "conscious" thrusts of energy - which reminds us of the old teaching that the Universal One, who is pure consciousness, has become both matter and consciousness within matter (purusha and prakriti both arise from the same ever conscious One). This knowledge of the subtler dimensions of reality was also used for various purposes by the makers of temples in ancient India. Sadhguru says that before the bhakti (devotion) movement changed the nature of temples completely, temples in India were centres of energy which also served some purpose in ordinary life. Devotees could go to particular temples and receive the energy required for progress on some dimension of life or the other. The dhyaanalinga temple constructed by Sadhguru uses this ancient science - only that the dhyaanalinga being the only physical linga available today with all seven basic chakra awakened is an energy form which motivates people to meditate and develop holistically towards the higher life. Other dieties with 1-2 chakras awakened can help on selected dimensions of life. After the bhakti movement, everyone wanted to construct a temple to celebrate their devotion to their form of God - therefore, temples were created in every nook and corner off the country. One consequence of this was that the ancient science of creating temples as energy-centers lost its importance. In some of these temples, the deity has been created by yogic processes which require some life force to be transformed to serve given larger objectives. In case of the Kali temple at Dakshineshwar, the life energy used to "sustain the deity" there is provided by animal sacrifice. Sadhguru says that great saints like Sri Ramakrishna did not ask for the animal sacrifice at the temple to be stopped for precisely this reason. They knew that people would in any case slaughter the animals in slaughterhouses for food - hence, it was perhaps better if the slaughter was used to transform the life energy of the animal to sustain the energies of the temple which served the spiritual needs of the devotees. Not that the creation of deities and temples requires animal sacrifice (or, human sacrifice for that matter!) says Sadhguru. However, some life energy has to be used, he says - adding that even a clap is a release of life energy. Sadhguru will not, in fact, allow the use of animal or human sacrifice in any of his temples. However, without some form of energy released and transformed into the required form, the temples constructed in this way would lose their vitality. He adds that temples where the deity has become a "withdrawing life force" are in fact detrimental to people rather than helpful. It is better, he says, to "kill" these withdrawing energy forms if people could allow that, rather that let a withdrawing energy affect people negatively for hundreds of years! With these considerations in mind,  he created the dhyaanalinga with a special process which requires no physical maintenance. The other "devi temples" he consecrated, are however, not nearly as unique and require much less of him too. Naturally therefore, he says he is willing to consecrate many more devi temples but there will be only one dhyaanalinga. His physical body cannot go through the consecration of another dhyaanalinga. 

In the last section of the book, Sadhguru again talks about conquest versus surrender, quoting the story of two yogis with opposite temperaments - Siddhalinga and Allamma. Siddhalinga had made his body strong and hard as a rock, and according to the story, was aboout 280 years old when he met the gentle and soft soul that Allamma was. He challenged Allamma to show him something he had achieved through yogic pratice, boasting that a sword could not cut him. As part of the demonstration, Siddhalinga had Allamma hit him on the head with a sword - and the sword just bounced back from the head as if it had hit a rock. Then Siddhalinga told Allamma that he now had the right to use the same sword back on Allamma - simply because Allamma had hit him with the sword as part of the test. He did exactly that, but only to find the sword pass through Allamma's body as if it had passed through thin air or water. Siddhalinga thereby realized that the yoga of gentleness was no less that the yoga off strength and became a disciple of Allamma. Sadhguru states that today's world would have had fewer problems if the masculine approach of conquest was not so predominant. He also talks there of five kinds of dreams and why it is best to not read too much into dreams but rather just enjoy them, whatever they are. The first is nothing but a reflection of conscious desires in the dream state. The second kind of dream may point to an event about to happen - but is typically presented in a very oblique way, making it very difficult to infer what it really points to. The third kind of dream may reflect some "karma" residing within the system - but it is useless to try to relate it to past lives, etc., because past lives are mostly not in the range of conscious experience of the individual. So there is a great risk of misinterpreting simple fears (like those of dark places) to events of a past life, just because a difficult situation was seen in a dream. Also, it is seldom complete enough to make any sense of it anyway. The fourth dream is actually not a dream in the ordinary sense - it is a power to crystallize things by powerfully projecting one's thought and will. To the extent that it is a creation of the person's own will, this is also a dream. However, it is conducive to liberation. Bhaktas of a high order (devotees) are known to have this power. The fifth kind of dream cannot be logically described and hence is best not to go into it, says Sadhguru. 

Kriyas (and other yogic practices) strengthen the 112 chakras and help people transcend ordinary life's problems many times - but even such preparations cannot succeed in 100 percent of the situations. Those who touch the remaining two supra-physical chakras (113th and 114th) reach a state where any work they do always helps in the process of their liberation - so they have not to bother with "what" to do to make progress. Karmic (including genetic) tendencies, habits and the naturally divisive nature of perception may all create barriers to the human being's transcendence, but the greatest contribution of the Adi Yogi (Shiva, the first yogi) to humanity, says Sadhguru, is the idea that we can evolve beyond our limitations and the technology (yoga) to bring about this transformation. 

Sadanand Tutakne

A little about Yogiraj Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri (Lahiri Mahasaya)

Another book by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda is a brief biography of "Yogiraj" Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri - the "fountainhead" of Kriya Yoga - which includes a chapter on his teachings too. The teachings are given in point-wise format, each put in only a few sentences. There are clear statements there about space being created from Brahman (The Universal One) and about the subtle body of senses and ego residing within the soul and how all the elements (bhutas) perform the subtle works by the power of the soul. There are some (slightly) discouraging statements about how the practice of pranayama and mahamudra are not to be learned from a book but from a perfect and realized guru :). And there is a clear recommendation that worldly duties are to be performed remaining always in "paraavasthaa", where paraavasthaa is defined as the tranquil breath state which is achieved after the practice of kriya. Kriya practice itself should be increased during winters and reduced during summer. Pregnant women are forbidden from practicing the physical kriyas - but mental kriyas may be performed by them too. Physical kriyas may be started three months after delivery, if the body is fit. There is no fault with marriage but if practitioners do not want to, then it is okay for them to not marry too. Sexual indulgence should be avoided - married people may engage in sex twice a month. Muslims and Christians who would like to practice kriya should continue sincere prayers according to their traditions - e.g., the Christian should read The Bible twice a day kneeling before Christ and the Muslim should offer namaz four times a day.  Then, kriya should be practiced - that brings immense peace. Kriya practice in general would reduce undesirable qualities like jealousy, greed, pride, etc., and enhance positive attitudes like devotion, faith, love and wisdom. Practicing kriya for self-realization, practitioners would see many gods and deities appear before them. If they move further without stopping there, the same deities would help them reach their destination by extending 

their helping hands. 

As a student at university more than 20 years ago, the present author sometimes doubted the emphasis put on positive qualities by books and teachers. Having been brought up in an environment and a schooling system where good behavior was "the" currency (or, equivalently, was "the" God!), it seemed logical that anyone not following similar behavioral rules would be considered an "outsider" by the body and brain system. This in turn would take us far away from the teachings of so many yogis and swamis, in which tolerance and looking at all (humans at least!) as manifestations of God was taught as the better attitude to take in life. The number of such books consumed by the author at that time was considerably smaller, but general ideas are often clear even from a single one. Hence there was confusion and a deep desire to transcend ones's own view of life and see how we could increase our internal acceptance of the beyond, while externally maintaining all the "good" behaviors which had been taught as "right behaviors". The confusion was fueled by suggestions that good behaviors merely put a cover on man's inherent laziness. Instead of rewarding the enterprising and punishing the lazy, good behaviors merely covered the real story and helped the lazy get a larger share of the pie than they "deserved". It was only much later, after some more books had been explored, that the internal confusion subsided. The central argument is very simple and well-known. However, it was not explicitly on the author's conscious mind. The literature (e.g., the Bhagwad Geeta and many writings in the same spirit) has always placed "rajas" above "tamas" in the hierarchy of "gunas". Gunas can be translated loosely as "qualities" in common parlance, and more academically as "modes of material nature" (by Swami Prabhupada of Krishna Consciousness fame). The tamasic qualities are the dark ones, and when not kept in balance with the higher qualities, can lead people beyond simple sleep and rest, to their undesirable forms - e.g., laziness, madness, ignorance, etc. The rajasic qualities are exemplified by actions motivated mainly by desire for some relatively self-centered gains. When in excess, rajasic tendencies lead to greed and over-exertion at work (in order to achieve limited material gains which are mainly of a self-centered kind) and are known to lead to sorrow (beyond a point). The sattwik qualities are the enlightened ones, which motivate practitioners towards knowledge, peace, wisdom, self-control, and similar enlightened behaviors. An excess of sattwa has also been discussed in some places - this may lead to, for example, too much reading without proper assimilation and proper practice. Meditation is said to be a good antidote to excess sattwa - where relevant. In general, though, sattwa is the quality associated with knowledge and peace. When this hierarchy is kept in mind, it becomes very clear that the literature never places laziness above work - even when work is motivated by personal ambition! However, with some more wisdom, it is expected that practitioners will work with a sense of righteous duty and not mainly due to satisfy a personal want or desire. So sattwic behaviors are placed above rajasic, but never are the excessive tamasic qualities given a place above the rajasic. In other words, there is nothing wrong with an incentive system which pulls people out of excessive dullness and interia - only that the lower incentives are not placed above "dharma", duty, and wisdom in the literature. The wise, as modelled in the literature, continue to work. The change is in the motivation for work. The motive for them is a wiser one. There is then no conflict with people who feel that the traditional behaviors are merely cover for inertia. When the "incentivist" rationalists meet with people who work from a higher motive, they will know the difference, because some rational deduction will point them towards that. 

Lahiri Mahasaya's father, Shri Gourmohan Lahiri was a recognized scholar and also keen on God realization via meditation. His father (Ram Ballav) was a close friend of the then king of Krishnanagar, who gave him the lease of a village called Ghurani. This gave the family good revenues as well as a high status in society. Earlier, the family's ancestors were settled in the areas of Bagada and Murshidabad.  

Shri Gourmohan was given the title "Sarkar" by the king for his scholarship and wisdom. Unfortunately, his first wife died leaving him with two sons and one daughter. He married again, and Shri Lahiri Mahasaya was his son from the second wife, Muktakeshi Devi. With both parents being devout devotees of Lord Shiva, Lahiri Mahasaya must have grown up in an atmosphere particularly conducive to his spiritual quest. In his younger days too, Lahiri Mahasaya was given to meditation and on one occassion, a monk foretold his mother of his bright future as a great householder-saint and spiritual master. This young monk was none other than Shri Guru Babaji, who is said to have retained his youthful body for more than a couple of hundred years and is known to have initiated or guided more than a few generations of Kriya Yogis in modern times. (Lahiri Mahasaya's disciple, Sri Yuketshwar and Sri Yukteshwar's disciple Paramahansa Yogananda have all been known to have met and taken guidance and blessings from Sri Guru Babaji. More recently, Sri M - a contemporary yogi from the Nath tradition - has also written of a few occassions when Babaji materialized in front of him in his usual youthful form and blessed him with his presence. Babaji is known to have materialized in the same youthul form in front of Sri Lahiri Mahasaya and Paramahansa Yogananda too - time and distance seem to make no difference to Babaji's appearance and his yogic powers.) All this must have happened before Lahiri Mahasaya attained the age of five. 

Born in 1828, he had to see his father's house and temple washed away in a flood in 1832 and soon after that, his mother, Muktakeshi Devi, also passed away. His father then settled in Kashi - where again, he was widely known for his erudition and intelligence. Lahiri Mahasaya therefore got not only the traditional Sanskrit schooling which was common in scholar families in those days, but also had the opportunity to learn English, French, Persian, Hindi, Urdu and a few other languages too. At the age of eighteen, he was marrried to Kashimoni, who was eight years younger to him but was probably the obvious choice for Lahiri Mahasaya, because she was the daughter of a scholar friend of Shri Gourmohan and it is said that whenever the family asked her who she would marry when she grew up, she always pointed to Lahiri Mahasaya and replied that it would be him. 

The first five years of their marriage were spent in deep poverty though - despite Lahiri Mahasaya being well-known for being highly erudite and of a very noble character. Simplicity, equanimity and calmness were his ornaments and he had no pride despite being well-known for his deep understanding of many philosophies and literature. In fact, one of the reasons his father got him married was to prevent him from permanently leaving society in his spiritual quest. Perhaps in those days, scholars did not earn much unless they were engaged in direct service of the king. Perhaps his father - after the loss of his property in the floods and the death of Muktakeshi Devi - was himself not too keen on cashing in on his reputation unless the reasons were compelling enough. Whatever the several reasons, the couple lived in great poverty till Lahiri Mahasaya found a job as a second clerk in a public works department. This happened in 1851 - three years after he finished his formal education in 1848. The book says that he was looking for a job for these three years. Clearly, there was no well-nown job market to speak of at that time, even for brilliant students and boys who were otherwise liked by all around them. 

Even after he started working, there were financial difficulties and the couple bore them with equanimity. However, over the 34 years of his salaried service, Lahiri Mahasaya set the most wonderful example for householder yogis. He was efficient at work, spoke little, discharged his official duties with great joy, and earned great respect from his office colleagues for his behavior. To supplement his income, he tutored children and a few years later, the list of his students also included dignitaries like the princes of Kashi and Nepal. At some point, he even opened a school - and the motivation was more than just supplementing his income to make ends meet. The book clearly states that he considered education to be critical for the welfare of the people and this included education of girls too. He gave due importance to good administration of the school too - and fined a watchman once for sleeping at work. The fine was charged purely to set the right example. Lahiri Baba was not known to be guided by anger or hatred. A school he opened for girls failed due to the highly conservative beliefs of the society around him, but in the process, he managed to teach his wife quite a few things, including the scriptures. 

While engaged in all these works too, Lahiri Baba always found time to sit with scholars and saints to discuss spiritual and philosophical issues. Later, after his initiation by Shri Guru Babaji (or, Mahavatar Babaji, as Paramahana Yogananda called him), he was known for working all day, having dinner with his family with the most pleasant and humorous attitude and frequently staying up all night with his disciples guiding them in their search or just meditating with them. It is said that there were times when he only rested briefly in a sitting position with eyes closed - otherwise, he showed no need for rest on those days. Thus, it is no surprise that other legendary yogis like Trailanga Swami told their disciples that what they had earned by renouncing the world had been attained by Lahiri Baba while still remaining a householder. By 1864, Lahiri Baba had saved enough from his meager income to move into a house of his own - with Kashimoni and his eldest son. Over the years, the couple had another son, and three daughters. He was posted to several cities within the state of Uttar Pradesh and he moved cities as per the needs of the job. 

Amongst the list of his disciples are many who are believed to have attained full self-realization (mastery of nirvikalpa samadhi) by his guidance and grace. His two sons - Tinkori and Dukori Lahiri are only two of the top names on the list. The great Sri Yukteshwar - guru of the world famous Paramahansa Yogananda - is another one, and another very highly respected name in the list of the fully self-realized disciples is that of Pandit Panchanan Bhattacharya, who later established he Arya Mission Institution, which published many books based on Lahiri Mahasaya's interpretations and discourses. The list goes on, of course. 

There were advanced muslim and women disciples too. Other than Kashimoni herself, Pandit Panchanan's wife - Surdhuni Devi - was also an advanced disciple, and also published a yogic interpretation of the Bhagwad Gita called the "Surdhuni Gita". An advanced muslim disciple was Abdul Gafur Khan, was known for never meeting anyone, lest he hurt someone's sentiments. Several British officers also got to hear of Lahiri Mahasaya and took initiation from him. Religion, gender, nationality and marital status posed to no barriers for him. 

The story of his initiation is equally wonderful. It is said that Mahavatar Babaji arranged for his transfer to Ranikhet by his divine powers in 1861, and Lahiri Mahasaya moved there, leaving Kashimoni at Kashi, which was his hometown. While travelling on duty, Babaji is supposed to have met him and asked him to come after office hours. Later that evening, in a cave in the mountains, with Babaji's blessings, Lahiri Mahasaya regained the memory of a past life in which he was a monk and meditated in that cave sitting on the same tiger skin which was still lying there. Convinced and reminded of his long standing relationship with his Guru, Lahiri Mahasaya accepted initiation into Kriya Yoga from Mahavatar Babaji and also accepted the task given to him by Babaji - of spreading the message of Kriya Yoga in common people while still remaining a householder, so that  they could see for themselves that discharging the duties of a householder was not necessarily an impediment to self-realization. Babaji also promised Lahiri Mahasaya that he would appear whenever Lahiri Mahasaya called him, but this promise was later retracted after Lahiri Mahasaya once asked Babaji to materialize in front of some scholars and devotees who still did not have enough faith. Although Lahiri Mahasaya's purpose was only to instill faith into doubting minds, Babaji did not think of it as a good enough reason for Lahiri Mahasaya to make the request. He appeared on that occasion in front of the doubting minds, but later retracted his promise to appear on demand. 

Lahiri Mahasaya was bereaved of his father too in 1852, about one year after he landed his job as a clerk. The title Yogiraj was bestowed on him much later by his father-in-law, Mahamahopadhyay Pandit Devanarayan, who also accepted Kriya Yoga initiation from him, quoting one the scriptures where it is said that if the son attains Brahman (i.e., is God-realized), then he has every right to initiate the father. 

Lahiri Mahasaya himself completed about 26 books and diaries with spiritual interpretations and discourses. Other than that, he motivated several of his disciples to write books based on his yogic interpretations of scriptures. His life was marked by several miraculous events - including his knowledge of events distant in time and space, appearing in person at more than one place at the same time, curing sick people who otherwise felt that they had no hope and also bringing back a disciple after his physical death was announced by the doctors attending to him. At the time of his initiation by Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya was shown a grand vision of a golden palace - which was explained to him by Babaji as a manifestation for him, because he had once had the desire to live in a lavish palace. 

About 6 months prior to his final departure, he is supposed to have given hints to Kashimoni about the impending end of the physical journey and about 3 months ago to some other disciples too. Most of these hints were, of course, not on the minds of the disciples at the time of his death, who were imploring him to cure himself of the sickness and not leave them directionless in the world. He replied by telling them that practitioners of Kriya could never perish and become "orphans" in the world and that even if his body perished, the ever existent Guru would always be with them. Thus calming his disciples, he left the world in deep meditative posture, following the Kriya Yoga method, on the auspicious day of Mahashtami in September, 1895. 

To end, it is instructive to look at the five sermons of Shri Lahiri Baba, as retold by his disciple Swami Shri Yukteshwar. The language is slightly changed, but hopefully not the substance. 

1. Aspirants should belittle themselves via service, worship and surrender to God. 

2. Practitioners should remain absorbed in soul or God-consciousness by using all means - whether meditation, association with saints or self-study. 

3. It is advisable to sometimes engage in group discussions on meditation and yogic practices too. 

4. Denigration of spiritual names is not adviable. 

5. Aspirants should seek the company of the Guru for at least three days every year, if not more. 

Sadanand Tutakne 

A bit about "Jnanavatar" Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri

A bit about "Jnanavatar" Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri 

Two short books by Paramahamsa Prajnanananda are very useful. One is a short biography of Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri - disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya and spiritual guru of the world renowned Paramahansa Yogananda. The other is a similar book on Lahiri Mahasaya himself. Today, let's just take up the life of Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri. 

1. Early Life 

Born as "Priyanath Karar" in a "zamindar" (landlord) family in 1855, Swamiji was brought up to be a disciplined and hardworking person. Though he lost his father somewhat early in life, he did not have to face any financial difficulties in his childhood because his mother had enough skill to manage the family property and business well. He was a brilliant student, did not blindly agree to ideas without properly testing them and was also a bit outspoken where truth was concerned. Given the family background, he was favorably disposed towards love and devotion to God, but his devotion never came in the way of his keen interest in mathematics and science. The book says that he always scored 100% marks in mathematics at school. The British education system prevalent in Serampore (W.B.) at the time helped his logical faculties mature rapidly, but he also continued to study the scriptures to 

understand how to lead a righteous life. He once mocked a pandit who was lecturing in the town because he was convinced that the Pandit merely knew Sanskrit and had no deeper understanding of the scriptures. He was reprimanded from the point of view of discipline, but people also appreciated his courage and conviction and his knowledge of the scriptures. 

In due course of time, Swamiji joined a Christian missionary school and during this phase, also studied the Bible in-depth. At university, seeing his keen interest in anatomy and physiology, a Professor remarked that he should first go to medical college and only then come to his class. Swamiji was so deeply interested that he actually acted on that advice and joined a medical college for 2 years. After 2 years, he left medical college simply because he did not intend to become a doctor. He had gained the knowledge he needed on the subjects of his interest and that was enough for him. 

After medical college, Swamiji married as per his mother's wishes and was blessed with a daughter. However, his keen intellect was not very interested in the family business and hence the business had to be closed after some time. He worked in a large company as an accountant for some time, and proved himself to be highly efficient at the job, but that job also did not interest him too deeply. The book says somewhere that he may also have been influenced by his mother's view that a person who works too long for others ultimately becomes a slave. Moreover, the deep desire for God-realization had always been on his mind. Whatever the full set of reasons, Swamiji left that job too, and from then on, stayed satisfied with the income he received from his property. Here, the book says, he was quite wise in his decisions and was respected and appreciated by many lawyers in Kolkata for his knowledge of the law. 

At some point in this phase, Swamiji also acquired a good knowledge of homeopathic medicine. He also studied naturopathy from a German scholar. He was quite keen on physical exercise and music too. Even in his later years, he advised young people to exercise regularly, saying that a weak / sick body would not help in the search for God. He was well-versed with many languages and had a great 

understanding of astrology and astronomy too. He used to seek out eminent personalities from different walks of life so that he could learn from their understanding and experience. However, through all this, his search for self-realization continued. 

After some years as a householder, his wife passed away, and after another few years, his daughter, who was married, also passed away due to an illness. Swamiji considered these troubles to be mainly the results of actions from past lives, and his search for the eternal Truth continued. 

2. Meeting his Guru 

As mentioned above, throughout his early years, Swamiji's quest for the Truth continued unabated. In 1883, though, when he was about 28 years old, he heard of the great yogi "Yogiraj" Shri Shyamacharan Lahiri (called Lahiri Mahasaya or Lahiri Baba for short) from the noble families in Bengal. Lahiri Mahasaya - as is well known - received his initiation from the legendary Shri Guru Babaji, who is supposed to have maintained his youthful form for centuries now, and is said to have the ability to appear and disappear at will. Shri Lahiri Mahasaya was given the task of rejuvenating the ancient art/science of Kriya Yoga by Shri Guru Babajji (also called Mahavataar Babaji by Paramahansa Yogananda), and he performed this role to perfection. Today, Lahiri Mahasaya is known as the original preceptor of Kriya Yoga in modern times and more than a few of his disciples and devotees are today recognized and remembered as fully self-realized yogis. Swami Sri Yukteswar ji was immediately drawn to this figure and travelled to Kashi to meet him. He was accepted as a disciple by Lahiri Mahasaya and from the Yogiraj himself, Sri Yukeswar learnt of the science and practices of Kriya Yoga. After spending many days with the Yogiraj, Swamiji left for his residence in Serampore (as per the Yogiraj's own instructions) and there, he continued his efforts with full seriousness and sincerity. If he had doubts, he would write to Lahiri Mahasaya for guidance or simply go to Kashi to discuss in person. He continued discussing with pundits, philosophers and other great personalities and is even known to have gone deep into the forest to learn from a tribal saint who used to otherwise bar outsiders from attending his rituals. He believed that the teachings of different saints are one in essence, and taught that if people analyzed them with an open and devoted mind, they would perceive this unity and would be relieved of sectarian thoughts. Over time, says the book, many a scriptural truth was revealed to Sri Yukteswar ji, and after a point, he was himself considered to be a fully self-realized yogi - among the few to have had attained the state of nirvikalpa samadhi (or nirbikalpa samadhi, as Paramahansa Yogananda liked to spell it). 

Through Sri Yukteswar, many of his friends also came into contact with Lahiri Mahasaya. One - called Rama - was also initiated by Lahiri Mahasaya and often accompanied Sri Yukteswar to Kashi, where Lahiri Mahasaya lived. The book says that once Rama was down with Asiatic cholera and that his condition was deterirating rapidly. When Sri Yukteswar prayed to the Yogiraj to help Rama, the Yogiraj is said to have replied that he was being treated by good doctors and that he would recover. However, when Sri Yukteswar went over to meet Rama, he found to his grief that the doctors had also given up hope. Swamiji rushed back to Yogiraj Lahiri Mahasaya and Lahiri Mahasaya again gave him the same reply - that Rama was being treated by good doctors and that he would recover. Rama's condition was, however, deteriorating steadily and he soon breathed his last. Swamiji again rushed to his Guru with the news, and this time, Lahiri Mahasaya asked him to calm down and meditate. Swamiji found it difficult to get to meditation in that state of the mind, but obeyed his Guru nevertheless. He then remained in deep meditation the whole evening and night, and in the morning, Lahiri Mahasaya gave him a bottle of neem oil and instructed him to put seven drops in Rama's mouth, so that Rama could come back to life again. Sri Yukteswar could not believe his ears, but rushed to Rama's side immediately. After seven drops of the oil were administered, Rama's body started showing some vibrations and then Rama just woke up as if from deep sleep. After a short while, he started breathing normally too. Swamiji thus got a first hand experience of the possibilities for a yogi and his faith in his guru was deepened further. 

3. The Gita Sabha and Works by Swamiji 

With Lahiri Mahasaya's blessings, Sri Yukteswar started a group to help people realize the teachings of the scriptures - in particular, the Gita. Later, the name of this group was changed to Satsang Samaj, and then again to Satsang Sabha. Some of the members of this group later accepted him as their spiritual guru, though Swamii had to fight a bit of a battle before that. In a nutshell, while Swamiji was highly intelligent and learned, some people in the neighboring localities had reservations about him being the guru of people of an even higher caste. Swamiji dealt with these perceptions head-on and invited a group of highly learned pundits to discuss his teachings - which were illuminated by his own experience of samadhi and meditation. The pundits stood convinced and thereafter, people did not have any reservations in allowing Brahmins to take initiation from Sri Yukteswar. 

Around this time, in 1894, Swamiji met his param-guru (guru's guru), the renowned Mahavatar Babaji in the famous Kumbh mela at Allahabad. The great master was the first person to use the term "Swamiji" for Sri Yukteswar and Swamiji protested, only to be told by Babaji that what had come out of his mouth was his own perception and was based on his own culture, so there was no need to disagree with the term. At that time, Swami Sri Yukteswar had not been initiated into Sannyas and was therefore, not formally a monk. Babaji referred to Swamiji's writings on the Gita and requested him to write a book about the philosophies of the East and the West, which would help people especially in the West. The result of this was the publication of a book called "Kaivalya Darshan" in Sanskrit, with an English translation titled "The Holy Science". An introduction to this book appears in an earlier blog by the present author, and hence the book is not being discussed here again. The purpose of the book was to bring out the underlying unity of the philosophies of Yoga and the Bible, and that purpose was very successfully achieved by the book. Mahavatar Babaji had promised to appear again in front of Swamiji on the day the book would be completed, and he did. 

Other than his writings on the Gita and the great book mentioned above, Swamiji was widely known for his great contribtions to astrology. He completely changed the understanding people had of the duration of the 4 "yugas", by arguing that the yugas follow an ascending cycle of 12,000 years followed by a descending cycle of the same duration. According to his calculations, the world had entered Dwapara Yuga around 1,700 AD and this was corroborated by the great advances made since then in the sciences. This, according to him, could not have been accomplished in Kali Yuga, which is a darker age characterized by a general ignorance of subtle laws and principles. He also showed that many calculations in ancient Indian calendars were based on the positions of planets and starts thousands of years ago, and argued for a correction in the calendars based on the present positions of the same. Pundits may sometimes have disagreed (or, may not have had the authority to make changes based on his advice, but he was nevertheless recognized as one of the greatest scholars of this science in those days. 

In 1903, Swamiji established the "Karar Ashram" in Puri (Orissa), and another few years after that, in 1906, he accepted initiation as a monk from Shrimat Swami Krishnadayal Giri Maharaj, who was the head of an ashram in Bodhgaya. His Guru, Lahiri Mahasaya, had given up his earthly body way before that - in 1895. It was in this initiation that he was given the name of Yukteswar Giri. Prior to this, he had been known by the name given by his parents - Priyanath Karar. He was clearly a contemporary of Swami Vivekananda and held Swami Vivekananda in great esteem. He also maintained good contacts with the other disciples of Sri Ramakrishna - e.g., Swami Brahmananda. To establish unity amongst different faiths was as much the goal of Sri Yukteswar as of Sri Ramakrishna 

Paramahamsa, and towards this end, Sri Yukteswar established a national organization called "Nikhila Bhaarat Saadhu Mandala". He also planned to set up ashrams for different classes of aspirants - the Karar Ashram would be the place for young aspirants, the Pranava Ashram in Varanasi would serve the somewhat more advanced seekers and there would be an ashram in the Himalayas for those who were at least 50 years of age and had no desires left except God-realization. 

In 1910, Swamiji made the acquaintence of Mukundlal Ghosh, son of an advanced disciple couple of Lahiri Mahasaya. This boy grew up to be the world famous Paramahansa Yogananda, who brought the light of Kriya Yoga to the US. Sri Yukteswar's param guru - Mahavatar Babaji - had promised to send him some disciples who would help him spread the message in the West too, and in Paramahansa Yogananda, this promise was fulfilled. 

Other than this, Sri Yukteswar also published other books (e.g., a book on Sanskrit grammar, a book on astrology, and another book introducing English and Hindi to beginners). However, he is perhaps best known for "The Holy Science", the book which brings out the unity between the teachings of the Sanaatan dharma and The Bible. Incidents from his life - including his appearing before different disciples after his final samaadhi - have led Paramahansa Yogananda and others to conclude that Sri Yukteswar was fully self-realized and possessed all the powers ascribed by tradition to accomplished yogis. This may not at all be an exaggeration - given that Sri Yukteswar himself taught that with perfection in the practice of "kriya", the entire universe comes under the control of the yogi. Of course, this should never be interpreted as implying that Sri Yukteswar sought power. Rather, he always taught his disciplies to engage in selfless service during the day, and work on their spiritual practices before daybreak or after sunset. 

4. Messages and Teachings 

The book devotes a chapter to messages by Sri Yukteswar regarding the ascent of spiritual energy in practitioners with different degrees of preparation. It mentions the kind of light aspirants would see between the eyebrows (or, in the mind in general) if say, the earth element was dominant in them at that time or the nature of the Aum sound that aspirants would hear if they were in a particular kind of 

samadhi. Other than that, the messages bring out the importance of rooting out anger and lust, and of keeping the essential Unity of consciousness (chaitanya) in mind, so that divisive tendencies do not make the practitioner sink too deep into "maayaa". 

For practitioners, the description of lights and sounds in meditative states would confirm some of the ideas they would have picked up from different sources, but more than anything, it would bring joy to their hearts to know that such concentrated peace is very much a possibility within the human body. 

To the present author, concentration and peace are the same for the practitioner of yoga - because dissipated (un-concentrated) thoughts and emotions are the very essence of a disturbed mind.  On the other hand, when the flow of thoughts is one-pointed and smooth, the state of mind automatically brings about peace and contentedness. Shrimat Swaami Hariharaananda Aaranya has brought these ideas out very clearly in his commentaries on the Yoga Sutras and the present author remains forever in debt of such teachers. This is of course the main thrust of Maharshi Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and given the widespread acceptance of Maharshi Patanjali's framework amongst practitioners even today, it is clear that the possibility of attaining to that level of peace and harmonious flow of thought would bring great joy to practitioners' hearts. In that sense, the color of the lights they may see or the nature of the sound they may hear would be of secondary importance. However, for someone who is in the midst of that experience, maybe even the details (color of the light, etc.) may be of some importance. For example, in some contexts, the shades of red are associated with energy and "rajasic" qualities, and shades of yellow and white are associated with "saatwik" qualities and being closer to "absorption". Hence, the details like color etc. may have a different relevance for different practitioners who come with different backgrounds and different levels of preparation. The reader can look through the book for these details, as per the need. 

Sri Yukteswar's teachings were mainly for the serious practitioners - monks or householders. However, he also taught about the importance of righteous conduct, selfless service, logical/rational thinking, and proper education for boys and girls. As for rationality, he said that it is easier for a scientist to be truly spiritual and unravel the whole mystery of creation, because the truly scientific minds may already have the power of attention and focus which is needed to focus on the inner being and discover the deeper dimensions which could prove the spiritual realities to the practitioner. 

To conclude, it is instructive to take a look at the "Five Points of Swami Shriyukteshwar" - also called his "Advice for Ascetics". The points have been put in the present author's words, but hopefully, that has not changed the contents. 

1. The first point of advice is to view life as a service to God. 

2. The second point recommends that the practitioner do every work centered in self-knowledge. 

3. The third point recommends that service should be performed only for the purification of the self. 

   

4. The fourth point is that it is extremely important to be established in "existence, awareness and bliss" - because all other works are secondary. 

5. The fifth point makes it clear that Tapas (right austerity), Svaadhyaaya (self-study) and Iswara-Pranidhaana (surrender to God or devotion, for short) are to be practiced at every step in life. 

This last point is also important for a different reason. With discussion of Kriya Practices often focussing on simple or complicated breathing techniques which are ultimately supposed to help the kundalini energy flow up and down the spinal cord area, the "definition" of kriya yoga given in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is often not even mentioned. According to Patanjali, the three disciplines mentioned above - Tapah, Swaadhyaaya and Ishwar-Pranidhaana - together constitute "Kriya Yoga". Here, we find Sri Yukteswar himself recommending these three practices as being essential at every step, thereby reinforcing Patanjali's ideas that all eight limbs of yoga are important for helping the practitioner attain to his goal. 

Sri Yukteshwar attained his "maha-samaadhi" in 1936, at the physical age of 81. He strived to show the unity of all religions in their essence as paths to God-realization. He also proved that faith and rationality could be woven together seamlessly in the fabric of sincerity. And equally importantly, knowing fully well the diversity of background and skill in aspirants, he could still leave humanity with some advice on how to proceed.  

Sadanand Tutakne    

Bhakti is not desire - Narada Bhakti Sutras

In an earlier blog, we have already discussed that no less than Swami Vivekananda - in his essays on Bhakti Yoga - has clarified that the love towards God talked about in the context of Bhakti Yoga (the yoga of devotion) is surely not mere emotionalism and is also not to be confused with disturbing or lower desires either. Further confirmation of this view is provided by the Narada Bhankti Sutras - which is probably the most famous ancient Sanskrit text on the subject. Of course there are other texts on bhakti too, and some of them are mentioned in Narada's sutras themselves. What is mentioned below is based on a commentary on Narada's Sutras by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. 

In a nutshell, bhakti is not of the nature of desire. Rather, it's nature is that of yogic control or cessation (nirodha), and what's more, the exact word - nirodha - used in Patanjali's yoga sutras to define yoga has been used here too, to describe the nature of this state of mind. To further confirm, Narada emphasizes that "love" is not the same as lawlessness. Society's rules and laws are to be respected and followed - else, there is a danger of falling into sin. While the gopis' (cowherd-women) love for Krishna constitutes  the very definition of devotion, they too forever kept in mind Krishna's greatness and Godliness, and never once allowed disrespect for Krishna to enter their minds. This is why their love for Krishna remained pure (with no place for sin there). 

In the first chapter, Narada tries to define and describe bhakti (devotion). He says that bhakti is like the greatest form of love, like amrita (nectar which is supposed to bestow immortality), attaining which, the devotee is drunk with bliss, completely immersed in the divine "atman" (soul), wants nothing, grieves nothing, hates nothing and is enthused by nothing. It is clear from related literature 

that in such contexts, not being enthused simply means that lower results (sense-pleasures) cease to be the motive for the work. The devotee is not unenthusiastic - only that enthusiasm of the lower kind is missing. The control or cessation characteristic of yoga and bhakti has been explained as adequate rest from both worldly as well as "vedic" duties (outer rituals associated with religious 

activity). Swami Vivekananda uses the words "giving up" of both popular and scriptural forms of worship, but Sri Sri explains that simply stopping of activities like worship and rituals is not implied here. It is the right kind of cessation of the outward forms of worship that is being referred to - something which flowers from within with the right kind of inner preparation and makes the outer 

forms drop away on their own. In this state, the devotee feels one with the Lord and is indifferent to contrarian impulses. While the devotees' feelings may be strong, scriptutal rules are to be followed till the state of mind is really firm. Else, there is danger of falling into sin. And similarly for worldly rules, food, etc. In other words, the devotee must not ignore rules and regulations required in ordinary life either. If improper food weakens the body, the devotee should not ignore this simple worldly knowledge because of his intense feeling of oneness with God. Swami Vivekananda adds that even after bhakti is firmly established, a few outward forms or rituals required for the preservation of the body may continue, although other social forms may be given up then. 

Narada mentions that according to the rishi Paraashar, bhakti is evidenced by an attraction towards worship and related rituals. According to rishi Garg, it manifests as an interest in stories related to the Lord. According to Shandilya, it is an unfettered immersion into the self. Narada, however, describes it as a state in which all activities (physical and mental) are offered up to the Lord, and in which forgetfulness of the Lord causes intense misery to the devotee. Just as was the case with the gopis. 

In the second chapter, bhakti has been called the greatest of all paths, because it is of the form of the result of the paths. In other words, bhakti is both the means and the end - whereas (it is perhaps being implied that) other paths are mainly the means to an end which is already captured in the path of bhakti. 

In the third chapter, the "methods" of bhakti have been "sung". The chapter starts by stating that the methods involve the devotee "giving up" lower pleasures and even association with people and being immersed always in devotion. When with the world, the devotee should continue to sing the praises of the Lord. All this, happens mainly by the grace of great souls and the grace itself happens because 

of His grace. Such souls (gurus, teachers) are no different from the Lord, so the devotee should focus on them alone, and them alone. 

The devotee is therefore advised to shun bad company - it leads to anger, lust, illusion and the well-known problems. Even if at first these may seem to have a small impact, they grow into giant waves of the sea if associated with. Only a devotee who shuns such company, serves the great souls, transcends the petty ego, removes the bondage of the world and the three gunas (modes of material nature - sattva, rajas and tamas), gives up excessive concern for bodily welfare, is beyond conflict, and even gives up the fruits of worldly action - only such a devotee crosses the ocean of maayaa (illusion) and helps others cross too. 

The fourth chapter metions that bhakti is beyond all qualities and is the finest of all perceptions, but it manifests differently depending upon gunas and conditions. The "Aarta" are people who remember the Lord due to a need while the "Arthaarthis" remember with the aim of achieving material rewards. The "jigyasus" are those who are seeking and the "Jnanis" are the ones who are in knowledge. The former are the lower kinds of devotees while the latter are the higher kinds. Again, it is emphasized that bhakti being its own result, is the easiest path to follow too. While lower desires, pride, anger, etc. are to be given up, that love which is beyond the three qualities (gunas) is to be inculcated more and more. Swami Vivekananda adds that all human feelings can be turned towards God to make them pure. Thinking of oneself as forever a servant of the Lord or a friend of the Lord are the main ways in which to think about the Lord. (Later, other manifestations of the feeling have also been mentioned.) In this way, transcending the separation between the worshiper and the worshiped, the task of devotion (love) is to be performed forever. 

In the fifth chapter, Narada says that when such a devotee arrives, even the Gods dance and the Earth gets a master (the earth becomes "sanaath"). For such a devotee, there are no barriers posed by caste , knowledge, form (gender), wealth, etc., because such devotees are His people. Arguments have no end, and therefore it is best to avoid them and focus on activities which enhance this devotion. Thoughts of pleasure and sorrow, desires and wants, gains and losses are all to be given up so that not a moment is wasted in activities other than the pursuit of this devotion. Non-violence, truthfulness, and other good behaviors are of course never to be given up. This devotion manifests in eleven different ways (attraction to worship, feeling of being a servant to God, feeling of being a friend of God, feeling of being a partner of God or married to God, feeling of oneness with God, etc.) but is the same essential feeling of devotion to the Lord. The book ends by stating that this ancient path has been this described by the author and the like of him without fearing the jeers of the world. Clearly, there was a time when people could not talk about oneness with God, or being married to God as a proper way to approach the spiritual. Because talk of oneness does not amount to experiencing oneness. And yet, it is equally clear that what we ordinarily mean by oneness (non-dualism) is not to be ignored as a mere construct of the mind. 

Sadanand Tutakne

Sri M: Living Light of the Nath Tradition

Sri M, born Mumtaz Ali in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) in 1948, has written of his transformation into a yogi, his years with his guru travelling to different places in the Himalayas, of mystical experiences before and after meeting his guru, and of later years at the Krishnamurti foundation and afterwards in his book "Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master - A Yogi's Autobiography". A few of these experiences have also been mentioned in freely available videos of his interviews and lectures. Even if only to force our minds to remain open to the possibility of higher dimensions of consciousness and existence, it seems worthwhile to go over some parts of his life story here. Or, even closer home, think of the purity of mind these stories create or the deep rest the heart of a believer gets when it learns of these things being true. Or, think of it as a story the great yogi wanted his friends to hear - for reasons we may not yet understand. Or just think of it as a "time-pass" with a joker friend of yours who thinks much of his games. All these are non-disturbing ways of thinking of these incredible events and would be conducive to learning. If you get excited and feel depressed that you are not at the same level as the yogi on these dimensions, you are likely to feed the disturbed mind that is always crying for one want or the other. Do you have your own way to calm the disturbed mind? If not, then don't let your visualization and imagination of your junior position vis-a-vis this yogi get the better of you. The book was written to help us. It is like prasaada at the end of a puja. It is like a snack shared amongst friends. It is like a gift from a parent to the child. Surely, the ancients who wrote in Sanskrit would have called these stories "milk fed by the mother to her child". We may call it the mother Ganges instead. So such is the nature of great stories. Some of the great old ones like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata also have metaphysical (esoteric) interpretations, but the stories still retain their full status as simple stories. So might the yogi have higher or other purposes in presenting his case, but it still retains its position as a "feel good" story. Compulsive believers have a compelling reason to partake of this prasaad. May it be auspicious. 

1. In early childhood, he was often disturbed by some nightmares but even in dreams, nothing ever harmed him. Both he and his younger sister were fairly studious, his sister even more than he. He heard of great sufis from one of his grandmothers and his father too had an interest in yoga and used to keep some books on yoga in his office. He liked to eat at some of his Hindu friends' place mainly because, he says, he did not get good idli sambhar elsewhere. 

2. His guru from the Himalayas first contacted him at his Kerala residence when he was nine years old. The yogi beckoned to him from under a jack-fruit tree in the courtyard of the house, blessed him and asked if he remembered anything. Sri M replied in the negative, and the yogi left after telling him that he would remember in due course of time. After this meeting, Sri M felt himself meditating spontaneously at night, and perceived soothing lights arising from the heart center or running up his spine. Even before this incident, Sri M was inclined towards the mystical, in the sense that when Swami Abhedananda from a nearby ashram would come to his part of the town singing devotional songs, Sri M would find the music very appealing to his heart.

3. He went to see a swami called Gopala Pillai who was visiting his friend's place. Gopala Swami touched his forehead as a blessing and Sri M was in waves of ecstacy. Overwhelmed, he ran to the jackfruit tree in the courtyard of his house. Slowly, the experience subsided. 

4. A librarian provided timely help by pointing to good spiritual books by a variety of authors - e.g., Swami Vivekananda, Madam Blavatsky, the Upanishads, etc. Sri M also read philosophers like Aristotle in those days.

5. At the age of 14, he met another mystic of high repute in the area called Kaladi Mastan. The mastan sportingly called him the big thief - the thief who had come to steal the mastan's treasure.The mastan was a wandering monk who kept almost no possessions, but at his touch, Sri M went into an ecstatic trance for 3 days. Shopkeepers who were around when the mastan blessed him told him when he came to that he had been in trance for three days. 

6. Two other mystics blessed him via dreams. Swami Abhedananda, who used to sing devotional songs with his troupe, happened to bless him around this time. That night, Sri M dreamt of himself as a gopi (cowherd girl) playing with Lord Krishna, the master yogi himself. Another mystic, Mai Maa, lived in rags and was followed everywhere by a few stray dogs who she often fed. Offering her some dosas, which she accepted, when Sri M returned home, he was blessed by her in a dream. He woke up feeling the energy within him and could not go to school that day because he was so "drunk" with the ecstasy. He writes that the night of the dream, he could barely walk due to the experience and that the feeling subsided only the next evening. 

7. During these early days, he also visited the shrine of a sufi saint named Beema Bibi, in whose name exorcisms were conducted at the shrine regularly. Once he ran away to meditate in a grove where many saints were said to have had illuminating experiences. The reason was that he found in the books he was reading, different statements made by two renowned yogis about the location of the heart center and was perplexed by that. At night, he got an answer from someone who seemed to know that Sri M was bound to come into association with Babaji - a legendary figure who is said to have maintained his young body for centuries, and is said to be the preceptor of Shri Lahiri Mahashaya, who revived Kriya Yoga in the modern world. 

8. With many such experiences guiding the way, Sri M finally decided to go to the Himalayas without informing his family. However, before that he did a "trial run" which was itself an experience. Finally he took the plunge, used the trains to reach Haridwar, and started searching for a true guru. Over the next few months, he stayed at different places like an ashram and once with a naga sadhu, and met practitioners of different kinds. Some were honest to the core and were living life according to their understanding of the scriptures, while others like a naga sadhu he met were addicted to their "chillum". None of them satisfied him fully, though, because they had no direct realization of God, or the higher dimensions of reality. He was told that although there were truly realized souls in the Himalayas, they were rare to find and that there were a fair number of fraudsters too. However, some of them really wished him well and wanted to help him and with their best wishes, Sri M carried on towards the higher regions of the Himalayas. He visited caves known to have been named after ancient rishis who were supposed to have meditated there and one fine day, was willing to throw himself into the cold waters of the Alakanandaa seeing no progress on the main aim of his life. That day, he met the same yogi who had visited him at his residence at the age of nine. The yogi knew about his travails and from where he had come, and giving him something to eat and drink, asked him to stay for a few days. As Sri M found out, this was Maheshwarnath Baba, disciple of the legendary Shri Guru Babaji (of Kriya Yoga fame), and a self-realized yogi himself. With Maheshwarnath Baba (or, Babaji, as Sri M calls him), Sri M spent three and a half most wonderful years, travelling across the Himalayas, witnessing miracles performed on occasion by Babaji (Maheshwarnath Babaji) to help someone or the other, meeting other siddhas and yogis from Tibetan and other traditions, learning from Babaji’s discourses on the upanishads or yoga, and practicing meditation or yogic exercises as taught by Babaji. At some point, he was officially initiated into the Nath tradition by Maheshwarnath Babaji, but was also informed that his role, later in life, was going to require him to go back to the world of ordinary humans, live external life like a regular householder, but also try to maintain the inner spiritual awakening while doing all that. Sri M was not keen to go back, but had learnt by then that the gurus knew best. 

9. On one particular evening, a ball of light which looked the size of the moon from a distance descended from the sky in front of the cave where Sri M and Babaji were resting with the “dhuni” (fire) lit in front of the cave. The ball seemed to be a vehicle, which opened up and allowed a large blue serpent to dismount. Babaji seemingly spoke snake-language with the large serpent and at the end, asked Sri M to bow to the creature. After the creature departed in the same spaqcecraft, Sri M inquired and learnt that there was a planet in the Milky Way where these highly evolved serpents lived and that the serpents have had a long-standing relationship with humans for centuries. They had taught humans many a thing in the early phases of human development, but could not continue on earth due to problems with humans later. The being who had come to see Babaji was simply called “Nagraj” by Babaji – since he was quite high on the administration of the planet according to Babaji. Babaji said that some disputes on the planet (Sarpalok as he called it) had still not been resolved despite the higher level of spiritual evolution of these beings and that Nagraj had visited him to discuss what could be done about those disputes. 

10. Samadhi or universal consciousness had to be bestowed upon Sri M by “other means” since there wasn’t enough time to get there via meditation. It was a simple dome-shaped instrument (perhaps made of some metal) which was placed on his head by two experts who had the sanction of his guru. They pressed the helmet-like structure on his head with the help of some strings and pressed on it. Sri M was first outside the body and then back in again. He then saw that in that state, consciousness had no center – this body or that, or even another heavenly body, anything could be called the center. When someone spoke to Sri M, he could feel his consciousness being within the speaker, as though it was himself speaking to himself. All these and many more amazing experiences have been recorded by Sri M for the reader’s benefit in his autobiographical book. It includes some of his experiences with J. Krishnamurti too, whom he met after Babaji asked him to go back to the “ordinary world” and work and live like a regular householder. There were also some remarkable experiences at Shirdi where he went with his guru. 

11. Sri M did marry many years later and has two children from the marriage. He waited for a signal from his guru before starting “satsangs” and discourses in which he could teach about spiritual matters. The association with Maheshwarnath Babaji continued even physically after his return to the regular world – even though it was rare. Once, Babaji asked him to come over to Mumbai where he was planning on helping a disciple’s family with a period of emotional stress. Babaji would surprise him by surprise meetings of this kind at times. Maheshwarnath Babaji – who used to look like a 30-year old for decades and may have lived for dozens of decades according to Sri M’s calculations – finally decided to exit his physical body many years later, after duly informing Sri M and transferring most of his capabilities to Sri M. Sri M buried the body as per the guru’s instructions. 

Over the years, Sri M has been speaking at universities, in the Indian Parliament, and on television too, spreading the light as best as he can. Most recently, in 2015, Sri M undertook a padayatra from Kanyakumari to Srinagar, stopping at various cities to talk to people and just bless them, if nothing. He has written that as a youngster, he learnt several magic tricks due to his interest in the field, so the present author is skeptical about the "ashes" he materializes in some of his interviews on freely available videos. In any case, he performs this trick adding that such siddhis are child’s play and not to be given much importance. Perhaps what is much more important to Sri M is that the learning of universal oneness be reflected in daily life, by somehow translating the Samadhi experience into a light which can guide all action.

Sadanand Tutakne

Ahimsa in the Gyaneshwari - "that utmost care is ahimsa"

The 13th chapter of the Bhagawad Geeta talks of what constitutes jnana or knowledge and mentions more than a dozen characteristics of knowledge. Where these characteristics are absent, knowledge (jnana) may be said to be absent. Among these characteristics, ahimsa or non-violence also appears. As with any virtue, it starts seeming impossible to practice when taken to an extreme. Another great virtue which also seems impossible to follow in extremes is pridelessness. When stretched to an extreme,  it raises issues like whether even feeding oneself is pride because it amounts to giving your own body some importance! Other couplets in the Geeta explicitly recommend that practitioners should not go for extreme forms of penance and hurt themselves out of misplaced pride, and a number of teachers over the centuries have also recommended the same. Following them, we may also do well to not go to extremes and hurt ourselves in trying to score more points on one dimension. Jnaneshwar (or, Gyaneshwar) in his commentary on the Geeta also reminds us not to hurt ourselves, but also does whatever he can to sensitize us to what ahimsa is. The present author hopes that the great yogi's teachings are not being misinterpreted here, due to limitations of translations or the learning and absorbing capacity of the present author. 

Dnyaneshwar - as his name is pronounced in Maharashtra - is said to have been initiated by his elder brother (Nivritti Nath) who in turn is said to have received his initiation from Gahini Nath, one of the nine great teachers in the Nath sect. The present author takes great joy in thinking of the light of the evening oil lamp as a blessing from the nath yogis. As such, he is confident that even if he made an error, the naths would correct it, but wouldn't it be even better if at least the essential meaning could be conveyed properly here - given the limits of knowledge of one who has not ever been in the superconscious state? So help me Jnanadev. What did you want us to take from there? 

Gyaneshwar starts his commentary on Ahimsa by stating that ahimsa has been interpreted differently by different authorities, but some interpretations amount to cutting and selling one's own hand and then buying food from the proceeds of the sale! In particular, the translation goes, the purva mimansa of Jaimini seems to preach non-violence through violence! The present author has not read the purva mimamsa and hence cannot comment on which statement Dnyaneshwar is referring to, but Gyaneshwar himself clarifies that the mimamsa recommends more yajnas if the rain gods need to be propitiated, but forgets that these yajnas are cruel to animals and plants. Gyaneshwar moves on to criticize Ayurveda too - elaborately describing how cruel it is to dig up the roots of a plant or to peel the bark of a full grown tree in the name of helping a human! He then chastises worldly-wise men who filter water before drinking but forget that many micro organisms die when water is filtered too! 

After these examples, he begs the listeners' forgiveness for the gory details in his commentary, but adds that he also plans to present his own view, and does not intend to stop after merely criticizing others.  

Then Gyaneshwar talks of the feet, the hands, the expressions and the state of mind of the non- violent. In a nutshell, the feet of the non-violent are always careful and never forget that a living being - even if only a microbe - may get injured if they perform carelessly. The hands never rise for fear that they may cause a disturbance in the atmosphere which may harm something or someone somewhere. However, they do rise to bless or help, or to serve the needy and then they perform these tasks with dexterity and ease. The non-violent gaze never falls upon anyone for fear that it may hurt something somewhere,  but if it does fall upon someone, then it is the most peaceful and benign of looks for the being on which it falls. Similarly for the breath, and of course, these outward signs happen only because the same is the csse with the mind. The person established in ahimsa gives up violence in outward action,  speech and in his mind. As the seed grows into a plant, the seed-thought of mental non-violence has the outward effects as mentioned above on all sense organs. 

Thus elaborating on non-violence, Jnanadev again apologizes for the lengthy discourse but adds that it was not done just out of passion. Rather, he says, it would have been inappropriate to only give his view without providing a critique of the contrary ones in this matter. 

Shades of light and darkness are involved in all karmas. Walk, says Jnaneshwar, and you would be killing some micro organisms. However,  he also adds in one place that fearing all this, some people advocate not even feeding their bodies, and in practicing these extreme disciplines, continue to hurt their own bodies, which is also violence of some kind. It seems, therefore, that Jnandev - like many commentators after him - also wants mankind to continue with works which are uplifting or essential. However, they are to be executed or performed with great caution to avoid hurt, wherever possible. That utmost care, taken when performing any action, is Ahimsa, according to the Gyaneshwari.  

Sadanand Tutakne