Preface
The lifestyle
of Brahmanishtha Param Pujya Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj was out and out so
simple and straightforward that nobody could ever guess that there was a
supremely accomplished great Saint behind that unsophisticated white garb, ever
engaged in benevolent acts of public welfare.
And it was under the benign tutelage of this very Saint tht
Brahmanishtha Param Pujya Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu has grown up from a naïve seed
into an imposing Banyan tree to look after and promote such endeavours of
mass-welfare in an ever-increasing scale and value.
Today numerous
aspirants of salvation are attaining Self-elevation under the pious guidance of
this holy Saint. Sublime waves of
devotional love and Self Bliss begin to ripple in the hearts of those devotees &
aspirants who avail themselves of the holy darshan, ambrosial Satsang or
enlightening literature of this benign personage.
We feel highly blessed
to have been inspired by this great Saint to bring out this extremely
substantial spark of Spiritual Knowledge.
Shri
Yoga Vedanta Seva Samiti
Amdavad
Ashram
Lessons to the Mind
“Manah ave
manusyanam karanam bandhmokshayo”
The
mind is the reason behind a person’s bondage or salvation. Pious and benevolent resolves and actions
purify the mind, removal all its faults and such a pious and faultless mind
leads one to final salvation. And the
same mind, when it becomes impure by its impious resolves and sinful acts,
promotes insentience and binds one to the bondage of this world. It has rightly been said in the Ramayana.
“Nirmal man jan so mohi pava
mohi kapat chhal chhidra na bhava”
‘Only the
virtuous-minded ones attain Me. Anyone
indulging in fraudulent acts and deception can never win my favour.’
Take Your Mind to Task Everyday:
Therefore, my dear Atman! If you desire to attain your supreme good
then you must constantly counsel your mind and convince it, “O restless
mind! Now be quiet and steady. Why do you disturb me by wandering all the
time? Has anybody every attained true
happiness in the external world? Whoever
has experienced true happiness, has done so within his own Self. Even Kind Bharthrihari, who ruled over all of
Prince Uddalak’s discrimination had
awakened in his early youth and he would often retreat to the mountain caves
where he would counsel his mind, “O mind! Why do you make me wander? You are enamoured with perfumes, with taste
and with some music at different times.
“O foolish mind! You have ruined me. You gave me transitory happiness and robbed
me of my Self Bliss. You have made me
hanker after sense pleasures and thus impaired my energy, intellect, luster,
health, longevity and zeal.”
Prince Uddalak continued, “O mind! Time and again you run after sense pleasures
and worldly relations, seeking company of the wife, children, friends etc., but
why doesn’t the simple fact dawn on you that they are all short-lived? You have been forced to abandon them in all
of your previous lives and will have to abandon them in this life as well. Then why do you still think about them? You are such a fool. Why don’t you immerse yourself in the
meditation of your True Self, who is always with you, who is never distant from
you, and who is Bliss Supreme? You have
already wasted so much time and precious life.
Be quiet at least now! Let me
earn some spiritual wealth! Until now I
did your bidding, and in your association made wretched resolves, fell into bad
company and indulged in sinful acts. Now
be kind enough to abandon your old habits and delve within.”
Like Uddalak, one should take the mind
to task, not just once, but everyday.
The mind is so deceptive. Never
trust it. Keep a constant watch to see
whether the mind is following your commands.
Keep an attentive vigil on its activities at all times. The stick of insightful discrimination must
always be ready in your hand to discipline the mind. Punish the mind for its every act of
transgression against established principles and time tested social norms. Don’t give it food and make it observe a
fast. Only then will it realize that it
is under the command of a tough administrator and any misstep will bring a
severe punishment.
Never Allow a Free Time to the Mind:
The mind is an incredible treasure
house of tremendous powers. It is such a
fast horse as can easily and quickly gallop towards its goal if properly
reined. And without a bridle, it is most
likely to go berserk and throw you into a pile of thorny bushes. Always keep a tight vigil on the mind. Do not give it free time at all; otherwise it
will fall into evil ways. As the saying
goes, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’
Therefore always keep the mind engaged in some worthwhile pursuit, something
that requires the application of the mind.
Ruminate on the Self, study the scriptures, attend Satsang, engage
yourself in kirtan or jap of the Lord’s name, do an anusthana and meditate on
the Supreme Lord. You may even go for a
walk or do exercises in the open air. In
a nutshell, always keep the mind busy in useful endeavours. Never allow it to run free. And when it strays, as it frequently will,
prod it and rein it back. Just as a
large animal like elephant can been controlled with a goal; the mind will also
come under your complete control with constant prodding.
Constantly Remind the Mind of the Pains & Sorrows in Life:
Life
is replete with pains and sorrows right from birth till death. First, there is the misery of being in the
womb, then comes the pain of birth and thereafter there are troubles galore
through childhood, diseases, old age and finally death. Guru Nanak has aptly remarked,
“Nanak!
Dukhiya sab sansar”
O
Nanak! The whole works is in misery.”
Remind your mind of all these pains
and sorrows everyday. Let it see
patients in hospital-beds, funeral processions and burning pyres at cremation
grounds.
Then tell it, “O mind! Now you must
accept that this body is destined to be buried under the ground or else burnt
on the funeral pyre. And yet, O fool,
you hanker after sense-pleasures! These
pleasures can be enjoyed in other life forms as well. This human birth is not meant for such
trivialities. This human birth is an
invaluable opportunity. For, only a
human can make endeavours to attain the Supreme Lord. If you waste this rare opportunity then you
are not likely to get a human birth again.
Therefore, engage yourself in devotion to the Lord, meditation, Satsang
and take refuge in the holy feet of Saints.
The hunger for eternal happiness, that has been tantalizing you over
millions of your births, would instantly be satiated. You will be freed from your old habit of
hankering after trivial sense-pleasures.
You will become immersed in the Ocean of bliss and ultimately realize
your innate nature of Supreme Bliss.
O mind! You are effulgence incarnate. Realize your origin. You have this rare opportunity to be
liberated from the cycle of birth and death; and instead you are bargaining it
away for trifles!
“O dear! Now get up from your slumber! Realize the Reality, the Supreme Being, the
Ocean on whose vast bosom you have been dancing vaingloriously like a
wave. Then and there all your sorrows
and pains will be eliminated forever.”
Thus admonished, the mind will
surrender on its own accord. Then, like
an obedient and intelligent child, it will readily follow the noble path
dictated by you.
One, who conquers the mind, conquers
the whole world. He becomes the King of
kings; the Emperor of emperors.
The Saint & the Emperor:
Once a great Saint visited the court of a king and began
to look around curiously. The Minster
approached the Saint and said, “Holy One!
This is the
The Saint replied, “O Minister! Go and
ask the king if he is a slave to his mind or the mind is a slave to him.”
The minister went and put the question
to the King. The king was visibly
embarrassed and said, “This question is not worth asking. Quite obviously, everyone is a slave to his mind. I do the mind’s bidding.”
The Minister conveyed the king’s
answer to the Saint. The Saint burst
into laughter and said, “See, your king is a slave to his mind! And the mind is a slave to me; therefore your
king is a slave of my slave. Then why
should I bow my head before him? Your
King is not a true king; he is a slave, a dependent. Rather than the horseman controlling the
horse if the horse controls the horseman, it will definitely throw him into
such a deep chasm that will be difficult to come out of.”
The Saint’s experiential statement was
filled with pith. It had emerged from a
pure heart for the Supreme welfare of the king.
It wasn’t at all tainted by conceit; rather, it was imbued with compassion
and affection. The pious company of the
Self-realized Saint, his benign glance and kind words had a divine impact on
the king. He instantly got down from his
throne and fell at the feet of that great Saint. The Saint then preached him the true value of
human birth.
The
The ways of the mind are really very
strange, so never be off your guard.
Neither should you ever trust it.
Do not let the mind indulge in sense pleasures. It is
never short of rationalizations to deceive you into depravity. An unrestrained and impure mind becomes
entangled in bondage. A restrained and
pure mind, on the other hand, leads one on the exalted path of salvation. It is only by a pure and tranquil mind that
one is able to attain God, assimilate Knowledge of the True Self and realize
the essential Truth.
“Man ki aati
atpati, zatpat lakhe na koy
Man ki khatpat
jo mite, chatpat darshan hoy”
“Strange
are the ways of the mind, one cannot understand them easily. As the mind stops its baneful adventures, one
realizes God immediately.”
Bring Your Mind Back to its Senses:
The Mind is like an intoxicated
elephant. It has thrown many Munis into
the pit of depravity. And if it is
allowed to control you, it can throw you to the groun and crush you. Therefore maintain a constant vigili and
never allow your mind to play tricks on you.
Rather, destroy it altogether; annihilate it.
Flex your muscles, clench yours fists
and teeth, fill your lungs with prana then gird up your loins and force your
way to set yourself free from the ignominious servitude of the mind; break asunder
the chains of bondage, free yourself forever from its vicious clutches and
become its unchallenged master.
He alone, who has conquered his mind,
is truly intelligent and fortunate. He
is a true man. One who doesn’t have the
courage to take the mind to task and doesn’t even make any effort towards this
end, is not at all worthy of being called a human being. In fact he is a donkey of the stupidest kind.
Actually the mind doesn’t have any
sovereign power of its own; you yourself have created it. It is your own child who you have spoilt with
excessive lover and pampering.
Insightful restraint is the key to keep a child from straying. So long as a tree is just a sapling, it must
be protected by a barbed fence.
Similarly, your constant vigil is required to protect the mind from
falling into bad company.
Observe the Mind:
Keep
a constant watch on the activities of the mind.
Stab it with the dagger of Knowledge, whenever it tries to go
astray. If the watchman is awake then
the thief can do no mischief. Similarly,
if you are alert the mind too will behave itself.
Stay Clear of the Mind’s Trickery:
Never
succumb to the crafty trickeries of the mind even if it means embracing death
by throwing yourself down a mountain, drowning yourself in the ocean, being
burnt by fire or trampled under the feet of an elephant. The mind will always find plausible reasons
to convince you and drag you into the quagmire of sense-pleasures. It has been doing this for ages, over
millions of births. Time and again it
has dragged you out of your original abode, your blissful Self, and made you
wander in the barren lands of sansara. O
dear! Wake up now. Remove this depravity
of the mind, awaken to your own True Self.
Have courage. Strive and realize
that you are the master, then be a dispassionate witness to the mind.
A
predominance of Satvaguna is required
to attain Self-realization and the state of Self Bliss. Inculcate Satvaguna
in yourself. Weed out demonic elements
from your nature. And all these pursuits
are only possible when the mind is under complete control. How can one ever imagine of entering the
“Yadi man maila ho priya! Sab hi maila hoy
Tan dhoye se man kabhi saf-svachchh na hoy”
‘O
dear! If the mind is dirty then everything else is vitiated; and the mind is
not purified through cleansing of the body.’
Therefore,
constantly discipline the mind by recounting the faults and sins it has
committed. You, as such, are pure, but
it is the mind that has dragged you down into the gutter of depravity. Just remind yourself of your pristine glory
and sternly stare at the mind. It will then
gradually understand, feel ashamed and finally stop its dirty tricks.
Have a Salubrious Diet:
There is a famous saying, ‘Jaisa khaye
ann vaisa bane man.’ – ‘The nature of your mind depends on the nature of your
food.’ The gross portion of the food
nourishes the gross part of your body and its subtle part nurtures the subtle constituent
of your being, i.e., the mind. Hence,
you should always eat a Satvic diet. Refrain
from Rajasic and Tamasic foods such as alcoholic drinks, meat, fish, tobacco, opium,
hemp, tea, coffee, etc. These stuffs
only corrupt the mind further, leading to greater restlessness. A satvic
diet, on the other hand, promotes purity and tranquility in the mind.
Food or sex, had during Pradosha Kala,
corrupts the mind and causes various physical and mental afflictions. Always deny the mind what it craves for. This will gradually subdue the mind.
The Rishis have made following
recommendations regarding the manner of taking food, which are worth
assimilating in one’s daily life.
Wash your hands, feet and mouth
well. Then sit down facing east and keep
silent until you have finished your meal.
Those with their parents alive, should avoid eating food facing
south. Never touch your food with your
left hand; nor should you touch your head, feet or the testes while
eating. You may support the plat of food
with your left hand only while making offerings to the five vitals winds
(Prana, Apana, Vyana, Udana and Samana) of the body; thereafter remove the left
hand from the plate.
Never move your hands beyond the knees
while eating. If you hold a glass of
water in your left hand and place it on your right wrist to drink water, then
the glass is not considered jootha till you have finished your meal. This is a directive given by Manu Maharaj,
the great lawgive. If a Brahmin, while
eating, inadvertently happens to touch another Brahmin, who is also taking his
meal then both of them must stop eating.
When the light or the lamp goes off at night you should stop
eating. Place your right hand onto the
food and continue mentaljap of the Gayatri mantra until the light is restored,
when you can resume your meal.
Excessive eating has an extremely
detrimental impace on your health and longevity.
Half of the stomach should be filled
up with food, one-fourth with water and the remaining quarter should be left
empty for easy passage of the vital winds.
Keep sitting for a while after your
meal is over. Walk about a hundred steps
and then lie down on your left side for a few minutes. This facilitates easy digestion of food. After taking your meal chew a few Tulsi leaves
that have been offered to the Lord.
If one meticulously follows the above
recommendations then one can have Satvaguna
increased in one’s life.
Do Mantra-jap:
The
mind tends to degenerate and become depraved in company of the lowly and
wretched people. Mantra-jap creates a
special aura around the mind that guards it against the attacks of petty and
filthy vibrations. It helps the mind
steer clear of degenerating thoughts and actions. Instead, the mind remains continuously
engaged in elevating thoughts and endeavours.
Therefore one must regularly do mantra-jap and have a predominance of Satvaguna in one’s-character. One should continue the jap of Guru-mantra
while engaged in daily chores.
At
times do the following experiment. Lie
down flat on a blanket. Leave the body
loose and relaxed. Make yourself
completely calm. Forget the whole
world. When you think with a tranquil mind, you will
see that all events of happiness and sorrow are the results of your own past
deeds; and friends or foes are only instrumental in bringing your due to you. When you are awake, the world exists; and it
ceases to exist when you are fast asleep.
Thus this whole world is unreal like a dream. This is the Truth; this is the ultimate
reality.
As
the mind comes to realize the Truth, it will become calm and silent. A silent and serene mind is always pure.
Engage Yourself in Selfless Service
Even
carrying out altruistic efforts selflessly would lead to purification of the
mind. This is an unfailing law of Nature. Therefore be ever prepared to help and serve
others selflessly.
Attain Equanimity:
Never
lose equanimity of the mind on petty and trifling matters. Even if someone insults or harms you, do not
become angry. Anger feeds upon your own
vital energy. Therefore remain calm and
composed, and then patiently work out an appropriate solution to the problem at
hand.
This Too Will Pass Off:
Do
not become bloated in favourable circumstances, nor lose heart in adverse
conditions. Both happiness and sorrow will
invariably pass off. Irrespective of the
nature of the present situation, you must always reiterate to your mind that
this too will be over. Keep telling your
mind, ‘Even this will pass off.’ This
will quieten the mind and gradually eliminate your sense of attachment and
hatred.
Have a Propitious Perspective:
See
good everywhere. There is no evil except
in the eyes of one who is determined to find it. You will not find peace of mind until you are
determined to see the positive side of every situation. The world is always favourably disposed
towards you. Happiness and sorrow are
both designed to bring out the best in you.
They are both auspicious and pious.
Nothing in this world is evil for you.
If you see good all around then you will emerge a winner in the game of
the life.
“Drasti Brahmayi Krutva Pasymevmidam jagat”
‘Make
your vision divine and see the world as an expression of Divinity.’
Seek the Company of Holy Saints
The
simplest and the best way to be free from the vicious clutches of the mind is
to seek the tutelage of a competent Sadguru. Make all our efforts to propitiate Him
through your selfless and diligent service.
It is difficult to please worldly people, for there is no end to their
desires and wants. But it is very easy
to please the Sadguru who has no desires.
Remain at the holy feet of such a Sadguru, listen to His precepts,
ruminate and reflext on them. Study the
scriptures and imbibe the mystery of Brahmavidya under His tutelage and finally
assimilate the same into your life. Realize
who you really are. Seek answers to
questions like, ‘What is this world?
What is God? What is the Truth? What is illusion?’
When
these mysteries are revealed in your heart, you will realize that the world
actually is non-existent; it is you yourself who is present everywhere as
Brahman, the Supreme Being. Of your own
accord you pluralize your faculties and assuming different forms play with one
another. The only way to be liberated
from all miseries of life is to attain Self-knowledge.
Self-knowledge
can be attained only under the tutelage of a completely competent Sadguru. Self-knowledge makes the mind pure,
immaculate and guileless, finally leading to a state wherein it becomes
practically non-existent. Then you will
see nothing but the Supreme Brahman everywhere.
The whole world will appear like a veritable mirage to you.
“Pehle bhi tha brahma hi bad me rahega brahma
Nikal dalo bich ka jag ka jutha brahm”
‘It
was Brahman ever before. It will be
Brahman ever after. Just remove the
intervening illusion of this world.’
When
the world does not exist then how can the mind exist? You along will remain manifested in your True
Self. Whereupon all your resolves will
automatically fructify. You will be free
from the vices of lust, anger, delusion, conceit and jealosy. One who has conquered the mind has conquered
the entire world. And he has realized
God as well.
“Man ka darpan svachchh kiya jisne apne tai
Anubhav uska dekhi usme atmadev ki sai
Bhitar bahar dikhe akela na kahi dura kai
Karya siddh huve uske to ‘Sami’ kahe sun sai”
‘One
who has purified his mind has perceived the Atman; he sees nothing, but his own
Self everywhere; Sami (poet’s name) says all his supreme task is accomplished
thereby.’
PRAYER
O Lord! Please
endow
everyone with
a pious
intellect…
strength… good
health… and
bless us
all so that
we may carry
out our
duties diligently
and be happy…
TRUE DISCRIMINATION
-Param Pujya
Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu
Let
discrimination prevail in your life. A
life without discrimination in no life at all.
One devoid of discrimination will face troubles and misery at every
step. Of course people say, “I have
attained success in life by virtue of discrimination; …I have become an
Engineer… Doctor… I have become the proud owner of so many factories… I have
taken such and such great responsibility on my shoulders… I have attained such
a great position and power… So many people admire and respect me, etc…”
No!
This is not discrimination. Success in
business, amassing wealth, getting one’s physical form admired, building
palatial houses, etc. are the products of one’s ordinary discrimination. What is so great about becoming an engineer
and constructing a building? A bird too
makes its nest and resides therein. To
learn medical science and remove diseases of the physical body, etc. all spring
from ordinary discrimination.
What is Discrimination
Here
is the true meaning of discrimination: - To develop a comprehensive
understanding of – What is Truth, What is illusion. What is Eternal and What is transient – and
then assimilating the same into one’s life is true discrimination. God is the sole reality. And the rest – whether it is the son, his
family, house, shop, those a person considers his own and those he is not concerned
with, friends, relatives, etc. –are all transient. They will all have to be abandoned one
day. All relationships, all praise and
insult, prosperity and poverty, sickness and health will be incinerated along
with the body in the end. When death knocks
at the door, no friends, husband, wife, son, business-connections, flattery,
etc. can save you. Therefore, to
dedicate one’s life entirely towards pleasing and taking care of them is not
true discrimination.
The
revered Guru of Lord Rama, Maharshi Vasishtha, says “O Rama! One must not
abandon the ambrosial Satsang that kindles the discrimination to differentiate
between the Eternal and the transient, even if it means having to subsist on
alms obtained from the house of a chandal.”
How
supremely profound this statement of Sri Vasishthaji is! In fact, only this kind of Satsang leads us
towards our Eternal True Self. Worldly
pursuits, on the other hand, no matter how momentous and consequential they may
appear, will finally lead us into the jaws of death.
What Makes You Unhappy?
With
a calm and composed mind try to find out as to what really makes you
unhappy? Is it a lack of –wealth,
intellectual prowess, resourcefulness and tact, good health, physical strength
or wisdom is worldly affairs? But then
there are millions in this world who possess wealth, intellectual prowess,
resourcefulness, physical strength, and a good deal of worldly knowledge and
yet they are unhappy. People are not
unhappy because they lack these worldly possessions or knowledge; the true
reason for their sorrow is that despite knowing everything about this world,
they are ignorant about their own True Self.
Once a man realizes his True Self, he transcends all sorrows along with
the cycle of birth and death. But if a
person does not realize his True Self, all his knowledge and riches will come
to naught, for all he has garnered throughout his life must be left behind at
the time of death.
Is it Sadhana or Drudgery?
True
discrimination is to perceive the Truth that is shrouded in the illusion of
sansara, to perceive the eternal underlying the transient, to realize one’s
True Self and lead one’s life remaining immersed therein. Everything else is but useless drudgery,
tantamount to making a fool of oneself.
If you equip yourself with this insightful discrimination and march
forward on the exalted path of spirituality, then everything will be proper and
propitious. You will attain ultimate
fulfillment in life. Whereas, political
or financial clout may give you a luxurious lifestyle, even earn you a great
deal of praise and respect, but finally you will go but empty-handed in real
terms.
“Dhak ke ve hi teen pat.
Chotha lage na pachve ki as”
‘The
Dhaak (Butea frondosa) has trifoliate leaves, i.e., has only three leaves, in
the compound one, it never sprouts the fourth;
Then
how can one except the fifth?
You
will attain practically nothing. Your
life will pass by and in the end you will be left with nothing but
remorse. Death with cruelly snatch away
all your hard-earned money, power and respect, along with your well attended
body. You will be left lamenting caught
in the never-ending cycle of birth and death with nothing worthwhile in
hand. It is therefore that the Rishi of
Kenopanishada says,
“Ih chedvedidath satymasti.
Na chedihavedin mahati vinasti”
One
has accomplished the true purpose of human life if one realizes the Almighty
Lord, otherwise it is a great loss.’
-(Kenopanishada: 2.5)
…
so such discrimination is kindled through Satsang and the holy company of
Enlightened Saints. Even modern science
has proved how tremendously elevating the company of holy Saints and their
Satsang happen to be.
The Influence of Satsang on Blood
An
experiment has time and again been conducted in the Delabar laboratory of
“When
you come in the vicinity of a great well-wisher of yours, one who truly intends
to elevate you, there occurs a steep rise of about 1500 White Blood Corpuscles
(WBC) in every cubic mm blood of your body.
On the other hand, when you are in the company of a wicked person or
someone inimical to you, your blood suffers an instant loss of about 1600 WBC
in every cubic mm.” These reports are
based on studies carried out on the blood samples of people immediately after
they had contact with both types of persons.
According to biological science, WBC protects us against diseases and
helps us remain healthy. The scientists
were tremendously surprised to note the great influence that a pious-minded,
benevolent and altruistic Saint, the supreme benefactor of mankind, has on the
blood of an individual. These facts are
known to the science of Yoga from time immemorial but now even the modern
science approves of it.
When
a person’s blood can undergo so much change, then how many other different
changes must be occurring on such occasions, are not discernible to science.
Manki Brahmin and Maharshi Vasistha
When
a Brahmin called Manki having deserted the solitude of the forest, proceeded to
live in the company of ignorant villages, Maharshi Vasishtha accosted him and
said, “O Manki! Where are you going? It
is far better to be a snake in a dark hole, a worm living inside a stone or
even a deer in a waterless desert than to stay in the company of ignorant
people.”
Maharshi
Vasishtha further instructed, “O Manki! The people, whom you are so eager to
meet, are themselves burning in the fire of ignorance. How can they ever give you peace or
happiness?”
This
story of Manki Brahmin is related in the Sri Yogavasishtha Maharamayana.
The
Brahmin experience an extraordinary peace in the soothing company of Maharshi
Vasishtha and hence asked, “O Lord! Who are you? Your pious words have filled me with
peace. I have realized the intrinsic
hollowness of this world and developed complete dispassion towards it. I have been through countless births, but am
yet to attain the Supreme Peace, which keeps me wandering like this. But now, having met you I feel assured of
attaining my supreme good under your benign tutelage. You appear to be goodness-personified to me.”
The
more an aspirant or disciple is filled with the sense of surrender, the more he
will submit to the Enlightened Guru; and the greater his submission, the more
he will gain in terms of spiritual wealth.
The Guru is automatically inclined to bless the disciple once the latter
shows his complete surrender towards Him.
Now even science acknowledges the subtle mysteries that are instrumental
behind such yogic phenomena.
The
spiritual powers of great Saints are emitted primarily through the pointed
parts of their body. Similarly, these
powers are received more easily through the round parts of the sadhaka’s
body. This is why the Guru places His
hand on the head of a disciple, so that His spiritual power can be transferred
through His fingers to the disciple. On the other hand, when the disciple
places his head at the holy feet of the Guru, the spiritual power emanating
from the toes of his Guru, especially through the big toes is easily received
by the disciple through his head, thereby benefiting immensely. Similarly there is a secret behind doing
Sashtanga Pranama to the Guru.
What is Sashtanga Pranama?
Eminent
scientists and intellectuals of foreign countries were initially unable to
comprehend the rationale behind the Indian tradition of the disciple doing
Sashtanga Pranama before his Guru. Now
after carrying out thorough investigations and experiments they have come to
realize that there is logic in this system.
It is only through such reverential pranama etc. that a disciple is able
to attain some real benefit from his Guru; otherwise he will fail to make any
worthwhile gains towards spiritual elevation.
Dr.
Lozanov of
Dr.
Lozanov says, “We lie down flat while sleeping at night and thereby gain in
terms of rest and strength. This posture
helps relieve all sorts of physical and mental tensions, and gives us the
ability to acquire fresh energy and vigour.
But when we stand up, the indwelling ego wakes up as well with pain and
tension besetting the body again.
Shavasana
brings a similar refreshment to the body as gained in the state of sleep. The body assumes an equally stressfree,
relaxed and surrendering state while doing Sashtanga Pranama.
Another
scientist, Robert Pavalita, carried out similar experiments in
Eminent
psychologist too have realized from their personal experience that a patient
benefits more when he lies down in a relaxed and tensionless state compared to
when he sits in front of them. A person,
while lying down, tends to reveal deep secrets about his life or confesses to
offences he has committed, that he would not have revealed or confessed to
while sitting. The posture of lying down
flat brings about a feeling of surrender in the concerned person.
Eminent
educationists today complain that the sense of respect that students should
have towards their teachers has diminished greatly, giving rise to a lack of
discipline in the country. One of the
main reasons for this lack of discipline is that the tradition of Sashtanga
Pranama ordained by the Rishis has been completely forgotten in the blind
pursuit of western culture.
When
the holy darshan of Maharshi Vasishtha overwhelmed Manki Brahmin, the benign
grace of the Maharashi spontaneously began to shower on him.
Maharshi
Vasishtha said, “O Rama! When I told Manki Brahmin, “I am Vasishtha. Do not harbour any suspicion in your
mind. I will bless you with eternal peace
before leaving,’ he feel at my feet with tears of joy in his eyes; he attained
Supreme Bliss.”
Doubts
can be raised as to how all this could have happened. But the scientific reason behind this
phenomenon has now come to light. This
is absolutely possible.
A
scientist named Semyon Kirlian invented a technique to take highly sensitive
photographs of the colour and aura that surrounds the head of a person. This aura (a kind of electrodynamic field)
not only surrounds humans, beasts, birds, etc. but also trees. The more lustrous a man is, the richer is his
aura and the greater is his influence on others. This aura begins to diminish when a man
breathes his last; and it takes about three days’ time to completely disappear.
Kirlian’s
photography has proved today what the Yogis of Ancient India had discovered
long ago. The round halo that is
generally placed behind the heads of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Mahatma Buddha,
Chaitanya and other great personages in their pictures, represents this very
aura. Even today, when the minds of the
aspirants attain a subtler state, they can perceive this aura all around their
tutelary deity or Sadgurudev.
Undoubtedly
the aura of Maharshi Vasishtha must have been extremely powerful since it
instantaneously relieved the sorrow of Manki Brahmin, who then blurted out in
prayer.
“O Lord! I have
indulged in various sense-pleasures during my countless previous births, but
invariably ended up with nothing but sorrow.
I have attained the supreme fulfillment of my life today by having your
pious darshan. O Lord! So long as the
jiva doesn’t avail itself of the ambrosial Satsang of holy Saints, it continues
to live in the dark night (of ignorance).
The pious darshan of Saints and studying holy books based on their
precepts is like the effulgent night of the full moon day.”
The
darshan and percepts of Maharshi Vasishtha relieved Manki Brahmin of his
sorrows. As a matter of fact when a
sadhaka or disciple is able to assimilate the mantra or spiritual mysteries
imparted by the Sadguru (Maharshi Vasishtha in this case), he acquires the best
of both the worlds – material as well as spiritual. But the aspirant or disciple who doesn’t
treasure the invaluable spiritual wealth bestowed by the Sadguru and instead
wastes his time and energy in the ruinous company of ignorant fools catering to
dictates of his unrestrained mind, eventually dissipates all his spiritual
merits.
Many
disciples like the holy company of the Sadguru only so long as He showers love
and affection on them. But, with
spiritual progress of the disciples in mind and in order to rid them of their
false identification with the physical body when the Sadguru admonishes and
reprimands them and subjects them to various forms of severe tests the disciple
says, “I do want to be in the holy company of the Guru but not under His
control. I will definitely continue my
sadhana, but independently.”
Such
disciples are simply deluded by their mind.
It is not independence as such; actually what they look for is total
freedom bordering on recklessness. True
independence is attained only through Self-realization; and it is only with the
intention to propel the disciple on the exalted path that the Guru dents the
disciple’s ego, just as gold is melted to purify it. But, if the aspirant is devoid of insightful
discrimination, his mind would drive him into such a dark pit of depravity that
would be difficult to emerge from even after many years or countless births.
Now
think with a calm mind. You had accepted
the tutelage of the Guru with the sole purpose of bringing the ever so stubborn
and vacillating mind of yours under control, a task that you yourself could not
do. And now that the Guru is ready to
work on you and weed out all the misconceptions from your mind, then why do you
back out at this crucial stage? Let
destiny take its own course. You are
neither a child nor a patient who needs to be administered anaesthesia or ether
before the operation. Admonish your
mind, “O mind! You want to deceive me and push me away from my Guru’s
tutelage? You want to entrap me again in
your same crafty snare? Go away, I am
not going to listen to you any more. I
have already undergone a lot of wandering.
No longer am I prepared to follow your dictates which will only make me
wander in the vicious cycle of birth and death.
Even if I listen to you and leave this place, I will have to be under
the control of somebody or the other; of the wife or husband, of the master or
leader, remaining a pitiable subject to the dualities of life like respect and
insult etc. For, until I realize the
bliss of my inner Self, I will but depend on some external means or person for
happiness. Then what’s so wrong in
remaining under the Guru’s pious tutelage?
Saint Kabirji has said,
“Durjan ki karuna buri, bhalo sai ko tras
Suraj jab garmi kare, tab barsan ki as”
‘Harmful is the
compassion of a wicked one; propitious is the wrath of the Guru. It is only with the increasing heat of the
Sun that one can hope for a good rainfall.’
And
actually Guru never expects anything from you.
He only gives you in terms of love and affection but even while
admonishing and reprimanding you his sole intention is to bestow you with some
supreme treasure of spiritual wealth.
You may be unable to grasp this subtle truth today, but it is the truth
nonetheless. The surgeon operates upon
your body, only to remove the anomaly there from so that you may get relief.
Once
Mafatlal’s stomach-ache became very severe and the doctors stated that surgery
was the only recourse. After a lot of
cajoling Mafatlal finally agreed to undergo the operation. When the preparations were well underway in
the operation theatre, Mafatlal said, “Wait a minute!”
Everyone
was astounded; for it was only after a great deal of persuasion that Mafatlal
had finally consented for the operation; they were apprehensive lest he should
change his mind again. But to everyone’s
amazement, he simply took out a few coins from his pocket and said, “Please
note down the amount of money I possess because I have serious doubts that you
may misappropriate my money after anaesthetizing me!”
Just
imagine! Such a serious operation was going to be undertaken and Mafatlal felt
worried about his small change!
This
Mafatlal is not difficult to find. Most
probably he abides in just anyone of us.
We are more concerned about holding on to the paltry coins of our
personal beliefs rather than getting relief from the severe stomach-ache.
Mafatlal
was simply suffering from an abdominal disease but here we are concerned with
eradicating the colossal disease of birth and death.
Vasishthaji
says, “It is better to be a deer in a barren desert than to be in company of
ignorant people.” …And I say that one
must submit to the Guru’s abusive admonitions that are designed to work like a
knife to operate on our misconceptions and relieve us from the cycle of birth
and death. One should always be prepared
for the scalpels of hardship, hunger, thirst, etc. and the anesthesia of
reproach and scolding but one should never flinch from one’s supreme resolve
nor deter from the path of sadhana.
Never
leave the ashram of the Guru, the One who you have deliberately accepted as
your Guru after so much thought, just for the sake of ephemeral worldly
enjoyments or praise; for only the Guru can relieve you from the vicious cycle
of birth and death. So, you should never
become enamoured with transient worldly pleasures and desert your Guru and the
Lord. Once you are rejected from the
doorstep of the Guru or the Lord, you will be rejected everywhere else.
Narsinh
Mehta has rightly said,
“Bhoomi sulau bhukha maru tis par maru mar
Iske bad bhi jo hari bhaje to kar du nihal”
‘I
will make you sleep on the ground, keep you hungry and even beat you. In spite of all this, if you still aspire for
God, I shall liberate you right away.”
When
the Guru begins to mould you by pounding your ego and pride, do not be
perturbed. Have patient. When he prepares to completely dissolve your
ego do not resist, for all that you possess are but destined to be destroyed
one day. Before death brings an end to
your life, if you let yourego be demolished by the Guru; he will reveal your
Absolute Self that is lying dormant in you.
Thereafter no bondage of nature can ensnare you. You will become completely free from all
worldly bondages and perceive the divine fragrance of absolute freedom from
within. Then you will no more have to
wander about in the external world seeking for freedom or happiness.
This
is insightful discrimination. And this
is the kind of life led by the wise men.
Once you are able to adopt yourself to this mode of life then even gods
will long for your pious company. This
makes for supreme success and true fulfillment of life. Strive to accomplish this kind of life that
leaves nothing undone.
Therefore
have courage, be brave and strive forward!
Discover your own True Self!
O
Supreme Emperor of the Universe! O Lord of gods! Awaken to your true
grandeur. This is not a difficult
task. It is neither distant from you nor
is it impossible to attain.
Be
a dispassionate witness to all circumstances.
Consider this world to be a passing dream and just once awaken to your
own True Self. Never again will your
mind deceive you thereafter.
Even
if you have to lose all your possessions for the sake of maintaining the purity
of mind, it is still a good bargain. Your wealth, property and power will not
accompany you on your final journey. It
is only your intrinsic nature that will accompany you after your death. Therefore, always strive to elevate your
nature; let it touch the loftiest heights of Sublimity.
Bravo
O courageous one…! Bravo! Be brave… Let bygones be bygones. Let not even a thousand failures deter you
from your forward march.
The
Sadguru brings about complete annihilation of your ego. Do not resist His efforts or else your path
to the Supreme accomplishment will become longer. Rather co-operate with Him. Surrender your ego at His holy feet and
become the Master. Give your head and be
crowned. Abandon your vanity and become
a Guru. Give your pettiness and get all
He has in return. Discard your ephemeral
existence and listen from Him the divine melody of Eternity. Abandon your petty jivatva and repose in
Shivatva, the Supreme consciousness of Lord Shiva.
As
much as possible, avail yourself of the holy company of your Sadguru in His
lifetime. He will root out your ego and
reveal your True Self. The best time to
benefit from the Sadguru is His holy presence.
For after He leaves His earthly existence, of course temples will be
built and business may thrive in the name of religion, but no more will there
be spiritual shaping of the disciple.
Then nobody will awaken you to your True Self. At present the Sadguru strikes at your
painful misconceptions of identifying yourself with the body and considering
others to be nothing more than bodies.
Who will free you from such misconceptions once the Sadguru departs from
this world? Then you may labour under
the mistaken belief that you are engaged in sadhana, but in actuality it will
be your mind calling the shots. And the
mind, as it has been doing for centuries, will only be miring you further in
the world.
The Glory of a Person Equipped
With Insightful Discrimination
(Sri
Yogavasishtha Maharamayana)
Sri
Vasishthaji said, “O pride of the Raghu dynasty, Sri Rama! When a person
develops a firm detachment towards the sansara, attains the holy company of
Saints, becomes devoid of desire for sense pleasures, with the five sense-objects
no more attracting him, when Tatvamasi
and other such Supreme Truths of the scriptures are duly assimilated by him,
when he gets the direct experience of his Bliss personified True Self and the
heart is filled with the blessed feeling of Self-realization, then that
insightful person remains ever engrossed in Self Bliss and develops complete
detachments from the sense objects and riches of the this world, considering
them to be useless trash. Such people do
not remain in one place for very long, as by virtue of their awakened
discrimination and consequent dispassion for external objects and affairs they
are never impressed by anything – be it a place of complete solitude a thriving
city teeming with people, a pond, jungle, garden, place of pilgrimage or their
own homes; the frolics of their friends, festivals or parties, or even
scholastic debates on scriptures. In
case they remain at some place for a longer period, they would spend their time
investigating into the esoteric knowledge of the Supreme Truth. Established in the Self, they always remain
calm observing self-restraing and Mauna.
They speak sparingly and that too only about Brahman, the Supreme Being. By virtue of their sustained practice and
dispassion, they are able to repose in the Supreme Bliss of the Almighty
Lord. They attain a state in which the
mind is completely dissolved. Just as
heartless stones can never relish the taste of milk, these elevated personages
find absolutely no charm in sense-objects.
Just
as a lamp dispels darkness; charged with a supremely insightful discrimination,
that he is, an enlightened personage eradicates the darkness of ignorance from
his heart and shuts out the vagaries of the world, such as attachment, hatred,
sorrow, fear etc. These Saints who have
transcended all the three qualities of Nature viz. Tamoguna, Rajoguna and Satvaguna are like the
resplendent Sun in the sky – they are verily the true embodiments of the
Almighty Lord. All jives, alongside the
movable and immovable constituents of this creation, are incessantly engaged in
worshipping the Supreme Atman, the fountainhead of Supreme Bliss, with gifts of
their individual choices. After having
been propitiated for an unspecified number of births the Atman is pleased and
according to the aspiration of the devotee inspires His sacred emissary to
visit the concerned devotee for enlightening him.”
Sri
Rama asked, “O pious Brahmin! Which emissary does the Almighty Atman inspire
and how does the former enlighten a devotee?”
Sri
Vasishthaji said, “O noble soul Rama! Discrimination is the emissary that is
sent to His devotee by the Atman. It
keeps the devotee ever blissful.
Actually it becomes established in the heart of the deserving devotee,
much like the moon shining in a clear sky.
It is discrimination that enlightens the desire-ridden ignorant jiva and
gradually delivers him from the ocean of sansara.
This
knowledge-personified indwelling Atman is itself the Supreme Lord, the Supreme
Deity. The Pranava –
Therefore,
one should brush aside all his resolves and counter-resolves, mental and
physical vices and even financial troubles to engross oneself whole-heartedly
in the pursuit of propitiating the Atman, the Consciousness Supreme. Once the effulgent Sun of knowledge rises on
the horizon of your life, the demon mind that roams in the darkness –
personified night of sansara will be destroyed right away. The six sooty afflictions of lust, anger, etc.
will dissipate and disappear. The path
of your life will become fully illumined and filled with bliss. Your human birth will thus find its true
fulfillment.
GLOSSARY
Anusthana – Jap of the Mantra for a
fixed number on a daily basis with a fixed purpose and a fixed duration.
Apana – One of the five vital winds
which goes downwards and is responsible for excretion of faeces, flatus, urine,
menstrual blood, etc.
Jiva – the embodied soul
Jivatva – the state of being the
Embodied Soul.
Jootha – Food, etc. touched by one’s
mouth or hands while eating is considered tobe defiled and unfit for
consumption or being used by others.
Mauna – Silence
Pradosha Kala – Different hours of the
day in which certain acts are forbidden.
Prana – First of the five vital winds
and is responsible for respiratory functions.
Rajasix – Affected by rajoguna
Rajoguna – One of the three qualities
of nature characterized by action, energy and passion that leads to pleasure
and pain.
Sadgur – The enlightened one who leads
us from the darkness of ignorance, the basic cause of all sorrows, to the joy
of awareness and enlightment.
Samana – The vital wind which aids
digestion of food, separation of waste products, regulation & composition
of body fluids, body temperature and the movement of Pitta and Kapha.
Sashtanga Pranam – Prostrate obeisance.
Sattvaguna – One of the three qualities
of nature characterized by purity, luminosity, lightness, harmony, etc. which
promote happiness.
Sattvic – Imbued with sattvaguna.
Shavasana – The posture resembling a
flat lying corpse.
Tamasic – Affected by tamoguna.
Tamoguna – One of the three qualities
of nature characterized by darkness, inertia, ignorance and lethargy.
Tattvamasi – ‘Thou Art That’
Udana – The vital wind controlling the
intake of food and air.
Vyana – The vital wind that regulates
the circulation of blood, the nervous system, muscular functions and the skeletal
system in the body.