The Need For Spiritual Regeneration Sri Swami Sivananda Our forefathers would be considerably amused at many of the maladies that afflict humanity today, e.g., inflation, black-marketing, bootlegging, gun-running, et hoc genus omne. These Frankenstein monsters, threatening to destroy us before long, are our own creation as they are merely the inescapable effects of our lapse from a spiritual outlook upon life and the adoption of a purely materialistic philosophy of living. These and myriad of other similar problems have their origin in a love of luxurious living and are the products of a foolish mania on the part of every nation to raise its so-called standard of living over that of its neighbours. The economic-blockades, the armament-races and the atom-bomb imbroglios are all the resultants of human vanity, greed, jealousy, mutual suspicion and hatred; and as each nation wants to be on the safe side by multiplying its power of destruction, there is a regular scramble and competition for becoming the most ruthless and the most destructive power! ‘Is there no remedy for this’ has been on every one’s lips for over a generation now; but no one has the courage and the faith for taking the practical steps necessary for stopping the rot, irrespective of the cost or the consequences. Each nation wants the other nations, each man all other men, to take the initiative; and so the merry game goes on unabated. The vicious circle has to be broken by someone; and why not let it be done by ourselves rather than by others? The minimum essentials of the change that has to be brought about should be clearly visualised and consciously and conscientiously pursued by everyone according to his capacity. The first step to be taken is to change the angle of vision of life. All materialistic ways of thinking and living should be abandoned. A simple, spiritual sense of the values of life should be carefully inculcated in all countries, and in all societies. There should be an immediate return to the motto of ‘Plain Living and High Thinking,’ so successfully followed by our ancient forefathers, who understood well that the practice of renunciation is the sine qua non for the thorough eradication of greed and fear, which lie at the root of all troubles of the world. As a supplement to this, the spirit of selfless service should be infused into every man from his childhood-days. This is the point at which religion meets ethics and sociology; for the first posits the one Self alone pervades all existence. Hence, every piece of service done to others amounts to a benefit conferred on ourselves. The more this sublime basis of human actions is recognised and adopted, the more rapid will be man’s evolution towards perfection and divinisation. The emphasis in human relations should be shifted from right to duties. Communalism, racialism, nationalism–all ‘isms’ are only the different hoods of the same hydra-headed monster of selfishness and insistence upon rights and disregard of duties and should, therefore, give place to one all-embracing Universalism. National borders should gradually lose their artificial significance and importance; and one by one, all difference–of religion and language, social and moral codes, cultural and political institutions–should vanish and be replaced by the greatest common measure of uniformity of outlook, interests and conduct. In this age of atomic armament, racial hatred and policies of national greed, organised exploitation, inter-national exclusiveness, intolerance and distrust, our task is not so much the alteration and transformation of the patterns, policies and plans of the governments of the nations of the world as the creation of a great world-enveloping movement for a mass spiritual education and for the purification and the transfigurations of the nature and the personal propensities of the individual. The paramount importance and the imperative and indispensable necessity for the moral, ethical and cultural refinement of the individual personality upon a world-wide scale is to be realised first and foremost. For, the prime and fundamental unit of all wider groups like class, race, nation and human society the world over is the individual man. Great masses of mankind have to be weaned from the unfortunate hedonistic tendencies of thinking, feeling and acting with the grossness and greed of the mere beast. This is not an impossible proposition, for the Divine exists in all beings and it is an integral part of every individual consciousness. The method to draw it out is right and true education. This task of gradually, yet surely regenerating the nature of the masses has to be seriously undertaken in all earnestness and worked out in the educational and the domestic spheres, in particular, and the wider social sphere, in general–if the hope of creating a new generation and bringing into existence a new humanity who will elect and manage the future governments of nations in the best interests of all is to be fulfilled. I know this is a difficult task; but no great thing is ever done as if by magic. All constructivity implies hard work and more so much a creative and constructive task of world-wide nature. The results may not be immediate. To a large extent the fruit of such work will be for the posterity, while the tempo and the sincerity of the movement will set the elders athinking and gradually transform them as well. Just as a farmer who wishes to reap a rich harvest of healthy and luxuriant crop does not so much attempt to change and improve the existing crop that is already standing in the field–though he exerts to safeguard them from rot and pestilence–but rather starts to treat the soil in which the seeds of the next harvest are lying and germinating in silence, even so, all those who are to work for future peace and universal well-being should first of all strive to create a right and ideal condition that will ensure the four freedoms in order to enable the future generation to fulfil the hopes and ideals that we cherish today. If

Worship of Divine Power Sri Swami Sivananda The worship of the Protective Power is a need felt by all created beings. This worship may take the form of an intelligent participation with the universal, sustaining Power, or it may, in ordinary common beings, exist as merely the instinct of subjection to higher powers whose help they seek by their very nature. Man, however, endowed as he is with the brilliant faculty of discrimination, understanding and conscious volition, knows that his well-being rests upon his being in harmony with the governing power of the universe. Man requires protection both physically and psychically. The unique Indian mind has conceived of the Reality behind the universe as a supremely intelligent Being working with its Force or Power or Shakti, which is inherent in this universal Intelligence. This Supreme Power appears as Avataras, which descend to the visible world, or invisible benefactory forces of which man cannot be easily conscious. Whatever be the form taken by this Power, its worship is found to be indispensable for the good of man; this worship is, therefore, an attempt to come in contact with that Power. Upon those who cannot worship it always, the ancient scriptures have enjoined occasional worship. In a year, the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter are two very important junctions of climatic conditions and solar influence. These two occasions are taken as the sacred opportunities for the worship of the Divine Being. These are indicated respectively, by the Ramanavaratri in the Chaitra Masa and the Durga Navaratri in the Ashwayuja Masa. The bodies and the minds of people undergo a considerable change on account of the changes in the outer nature. Sri Rama is worshipped on Ramanavami on the first occasion, and Devi Durga on the second. While Sri Rama is the Avatara of God through his Shakti (Prakriti, Atma Maya or Yoga Maya), Durga is the Shakti manifested as the creative, preservative and protective principle in the created world. This great Principle is adored as the Divine Mother, as Maha Kaali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati, representing the aspects of Tamas, Rajas and Sattwa. As a rope is made of three strands, the universe consists of these three Gunas or modes of Prakriti. Devi Puja is the worship of the ultimate cause of all things, and hence it conduces to the good of all, which are its effects. It is the bounden duty of man to propitiate the Divine Mother, for She rules supreme over the health and the wealth of the universe. Even the intelligence of man is governed by Her. Man is really Shakti Maya, (filled with Shakti). He cannot exist independent of Shakti. The whole universe is energy, and energy is Shakti. God in His revealed form is Shakti or Power. In his unmanifested aspect He is Chit or Consciousness; Chit Shakti is the Consciousness Force that is working everywhere as the material cause of everything. On the worship of this Mother of all things depends the prosperity of the individual, the family, the society, the nation and the whole world. Human power is not great; it derives its value from the inexhaustible source of Divinity. When it is illumined by the pure Intelligence of the Divine, it tends to spiritual construction and blessedness–not vile destruction and misery. The great need of the hour is harmony and a proper knowledge of the divine forces of the universe, the lack of which is the harbinger of evil and suffering. Loving communion with the whole means the happiness of that which is one with the Whole. O Seeker! You are not a self-sufficient, independent entity. Your greatness is a reflected part of the universal magnificence of the Maha Shakti or the Aishwarva of the Lord. Abandon your vanity and pride. Surrender yourself to the Divine Mother. Pray to Her, who is Brahma Shakti, Vishnu Shakti, and Siva Shakti. You are a child of the Mother. How can you disregard Her? You are made up of Her Substance. Know that She is all-pervading. There is no place where She is not. Study the Devi Mahatmya and do Japa of Devi Mantra. Meditate on Devi and attune yourself to Her. This is your goal; this is your highest prosperity; this is the zenith of glory; this is Kaivalya Moksha or final emancipation. May you rest in Peace and be blessed. May the grace of Divine Mother be upon you!

A Message For Renascent India Sri Swami Sivananda SALUTATIONS to the Para-Brahman, the Absolute, and the grand galaxy of saints and sages who have delivered to the world from time to time the Lord’s message of Divine Life! The time has come when India has to take her place at the head of the comity of nations as the spiritual leader and broadcast to humanity at large the message of Godliness which has been India’s spiritual heritage. Sociology, politics, science, art, industry–every field of human activity and thought has, at its roots, MAN: and they are guided by man: they become constructive or destructive in the same measure as man’s inner nature is divine or demoniacal. And, it is India where is preserved the key to the opening up of the Divinity in man. Nationalism is all right, so far as it goes; but the Indian has never allowed himself to be bound by any ties, however noble and pleasant they be. “Tat Tvam Asi“–“Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma“–“Everything in its essence is God Himself”–has been the song that the very blood of the Indian symphonises–the blood that is richly laden with the spirit of the great seers of yore. The true Indian is not satisfied with anything mundane. The world is at best a shadow of the Divine. It does not ensnare the Indian. Maya cannot enslave him. He is beyond her clutches. He seeks to find God in everything. That is the true Indian! He goes beyond nationalism–he goes beyond internalism–he rests not content till all creation is brought to his heart in a fond embrace of divine universal love! He longs to realise his unity with the object of his love–the entire creation or Existence! Svarajya has been won. But what about Atma Svarajya? Atma Svarajya is far more important than this political freedom! And, it is the duty of every true Indian to yearn to achieve that Atma Svarajya. Until every Indian strives to reach the heights of spirituality, and to meet his own illustrious ancestors in the realms of the Infinite, he still remains in chains. India is still shackled by ignorance! Shackles forged by the infiltration into her soil of Western culture, manners, ideas and ideals. O Glorious Mother! Bharatamata! Thou hast given birth to mighty sages like Yajnavalkya, Nachiketas, Uddalaka and Svetaketu; to mighty spiritual heroines like Maitreyi, Gargi and Madalasa! Vasishtha, Vamadeva and Sri Sankaracharya were born of thee! Hast thou suddenly gone barren? How many children have you got at present who can walk with their head erect and say with pride: “I am an Indian?” You have filled your bosom with precious but imperfect caricatures of your glorious children: I say “precious” because even if they were born of your sweat, the glorious spirit of an Indian has been kept alive in them… such indeed is thy indescribable splendour! When will you re-awaken your children to the true significance of being born an Indian? When will you feed them with the milk of Divine Wisdom? O Indian! Arise!! Awake!!! You have not been brought into this world merely to ape the Westerner, merely to base your Government, your society and your family on the model of a materialistic, power-mad civilisation. You have a grander, an infinitely richer heritage! Seize it before you are completely disinherited. O Indian! It is your proud privilege to teach the world the principles of Divine Life–nay, it is your duty! For, India is the very heart and soul of the world. Wake up! Give up this slumber of ignorance! It does not behove thee. O Child of Bharatavarsha! Arise, awake, and blow the trumpet of Wisdom–“I am That”! “Thou art That”. Thou art not this perishable body, nor this pretentious mind, nor even this frail intellect of which the Westerner boasts so much. Money, position, power, fame, material prosperity and earthly glory will all vanish in the twinkling of an eye. Atom bombs will raze to the ground, in a second, cities and empires built over a period of centuries! All objects are perishable. Satchidananda alone will remain for ever. Thy very nature is Satchidananda. Blow, blow thy trumpet and say “I am Satchidananda Svarupa!” O Indian, my brother! Come! The Mother calls you! Listen to her words of wisdom. Revive the glory of the Upanishads, which contain precious teachings which are the only panacea for all the ills of humanity. Follow the path laid out for you by your own ancient scriptures; and preach the tenets of true Hinduism to all! It is thy birth-right. Say: “I am the son of the Sages of Hind”. O Child of Truth! It is your duty to set an example to the whole world! Lead the Divine Life of Ahimsa (love), Satya (truth) and Brahmacharya (self-control and purity). Serve all and love all. See the Lord or your own Self in all. Roar: “All this is my own Self–whom shall I hate and whom shall I fear? I love all and I serve all–for all beings are my own Self!” O Hindu! Be thou the peasant or the Prime Minister, thou art the son of India and the duty rests on your shoulders to preserve the Hindu Dharma, Sanatana Dharma, which is based on universal love, true wisdom, righteousness, moral and ethical perfection. Follow not the ruinous path of materialism; turn back and once again hoist the flag of Hinduism–the all-embracing Religion of the Universe! Hinduism, in which is the message of Divine Life, universal love, tolerance, understanding, peace, bliss and wisdom! O Indian, arise, awake! Say boldly: “I am a Hindu. The American. the European, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Pakistani, every one belonging to every nation, caste, creed and colour–every human being is my brother!” Lead thy brothers, then, on the right path to peace and prosperity. Gone, gone are the dark ages of misery, slavery and stupidity. India, the glorious Mother, the Mother of all, the Mother in whose bosom the Vedas lie shedding their

Art–The Expression of Divinity Sri Swami Sivananda ALL beings however low in evolution, all actions however trivial in their nature, all things however lifeless they may appear to be, bear the stamp of the light of the Eternal; the principle of the Beautiful is dancing in them all; the splendour of the Truth is shining equally in all creation–in the man toiling in the field, in the birds of the air, in the beasts of the forest, in the blossoms of the garden, in the waves of the sea. There is only one Law of Life that is pulsating in the veins of the contents of the entire universe. Glory to the Divine Being. Everyone in this beautiful creation is a piece of art; all that we see is but the manifestation of His art. We are His art, vivifying His might, reflecting His beauty and expressing His grandeur. Every man has the eyes of the painter and the poet; every heart has a dormant feeling for beauty and for the awareness of perfection. Every speck of space is rich with the inexhaustible abundance of goodness, of godliness, of beauty. One has to widen one’s consciousness and deepen one’s spirit to be able to develop the vision of all spirit shining in and through matter, all reality revealing itself in and through the unreal. To escape from this world of limitations (while yet being on earth) into the boundless world of Freedom and Beauty, Power and Brilliance, is the purpose of our existence. For the one who has eyes to see, all is goodness, all is sweetness, everything is beautiful, everything is graceful; whatever he perceives is homogeneous and harmonious. Children of Light! Behold the brilliance of the diamond in the darkest coal mine; look at the lustre of the eyes in the ugliest face; smell the fragrance of the lotus in the stinking pond; feel the omnipresence of your life in the lowliest creature revelling in filth; discover the greatness of the genius in the humblest family grovelling in poverty. To one with insight, whatever is met with will be seen to be the master-touch of the Divine Painter, of the Master-Artist, who expresses himself in such infinite and ineffable beauty. Art is not for the fleeting pleasures of the human creature nor a solace to the sorrow-stricken heart nor yet for mere aesthetic enjoyment; it is more than all these–it is a systematic and scientific living in Absolute Beauty, in Infinite Harmony, in Perfect Peace, in Eternal Joy. Art is a kingdom of intense feeling, a feeling in which one is aware of the one undivided Divine Essence of Existence. Art is majestic and mystic, idealistic and symbolic, supernatural and transcendental, an expression of the Unseen in and through the seen. That art blossoms into perfection which is free from all sense desires and physical interests. In the name of art one should not fetter oneself in the prison of professionalism and sensualism. The artist should be moved by the beauty of Truth; and his art should be progressively creative and spiritually suggestive; it should be a revelation of his moments of inspired vision and of total self surrender. In his creative moods the artist should soar high–high into the skies of luminous imagination and of glorious existence, wholly oblivious of all mundane madness. Purified in heart, one should wave the magic wand of art at whose touch everything is converted into the beauty of the Beyond. Let the drawing rooms be filled with the vibrations of the highest spiritual ideals which pour into us the power and beauty of a new life of joy and peace. Let the wielder of the brush be free from all stuff of pride and selfishness and from all that is related to the sense-world, so that the Divine may fill him with His Will to paint the pictures that breathe healing power and soothing balm into all onlookers through their eyes, so that they may be relieved of their illness of mind and sickness of heart. Let your art be a lamp of deathless beauty, shining with an effulgence dispelling the darkness of the soul that sings the sorrowful songs of the world. An art that panders to the lower appetites of men, that does not aim at discovering the meaning of life, that does not awaken the spiritual consciousness in the human heart, is soulless and, therefore, unsalutory in its effects and malefic in its influence. The test of true art is implied in its profoundest suggestions. True art should embody the best of the genius of the artist, the finest in him, and awe one into a subtler plane of refinement and thrill; all art that falls short of this great purpose is profane and perishable.

Yoga and Life Sri Swami Brahmananda There exists a common belief, certainly an erroneous one, among the majority that Yoga is for those, who live in caves and forests, in monasteries and nunneries, away from the busy world, in seclusion, minding their own business without the least concern about other fellow-beings, renouncing the normal pleasures of life and aiming at some post-mortem happiness, in some far-off unknown worlds not seen by any one so far. While these recluses give up all the happiness of this world, the happiness in the form of enjoyments afforded by rich and affluent family life with all the modern facilities, high status in society, name and fame and the like, in the name of spiritual renunciation, the vast majority of people are not sure of the future happiness aimed at by these recluses. Thus arguing, most people shun all the higher values of life, which religion and philosophy offer. This is a sad mistake resulting from want of the right knowledge about life in this world. Renunciation of the world is found to be the common factor in all scriptures dealing with Liberation as the only sure remedy for all our sufferings here in this world. This may sound strange. One who wants good has to renounce the bad. This is understandable. He who desires truth should renounce untruth. There cannot be any difference of opinion in this also. One who is after life should naturally give up death. None will deny these logical conclusions. But, if what is intended in the renunciation of the world is giving up of our normal life with all sense-experiences, what remains in our life? Nothing! The remedy seems to be worse than the illness! This conclusion is a result of not understanding the real import of the scriptures. Vedanta does in no way find fault with this world, but certainly instructs man, who is after Liberation, to renounce it. It is not renunciation resulting from a dislike and hatred of this world. It is renunciation by covering, the world with God, in the language of the Isavasya Upanishad, filling the world with God. We are asked to renounce the world of our present erroneous conception and realise its true nature. In short, to see the world as God is real renunciation of the world, prescribed by the seers, who have seen the Truth. Just as the different parts of a big banyan tree, such as its underground roots, the aerial roots, the stem, the branches, the leaves and the fruits, though appearing separate, are yet not different from the tree; just as our limbs, the legs, hands, eyes, ears and mouth, though seemingly separate, are not distinct from the body; just as the various parts of a hugemodern machinery are all inter-connected and serve the common purpose for which the machine has been erected, likewise, the umpteen objects which we see here and which we consider as separate entities are not independent and disjointed, but form a whole to make up this universe, an organic whole by itself. The least disturbance in any corner of this vast cosmos, let it be in the most insignificant object, affects the whole cosmos, even as the slightest pin-prick in any part of our body is felt by the whole being. A scientific analysis of any object here, say a chair, will prove that it is made up of atoms which are finally reducible to forces. When we perceive through the intellect, these forces that constitute the chair, the chair as such vanishes; and when the chair is seen, we do not perceive the forces, These forces have Consciousness as their substratum. No hair-splitting arguments are necessary to prove that nothing can exist without Consciousness. Pure Consciousness is therefore the basic reality. It is the perceiving principle, the object perceived and the principle of perception also. In other words, Consciousness which cannot but be one, homogeneous and non-dual, and therefore eternal and immortal, is called by the different names of seer, seen and sight, hearer, hearing and heard, knower, known and knowledge, and so on. Again, it is this Consciousness alone that is referred to through different names, such as Brahman or Atman by Vedantins, Bhagavan or God by devotees, Vishnu or Narayana by Vaishnavas, Siva or Paramesvara by Saivites. Other religions of the world give different names for this one Principle, the Truth Supreme. It is called as Christ by the Christians, Allah by the Muslims, Arhat by the Jainas and Buddha by the Buddhists. The truth about the relationship between God and the world is beautifully brought out in a simple Tamil verse which means: The wood is veiled by the elephant and into the wood disappears the elephant; even so, elements veil the Truth and into Truth disappear the elements. The reference is to a life-size elephant made out of black wood by an expert carpenter. The likeness is complete. Though the eyes perceive the form of an elephant, the intellect and the mind will perceive the wood of which it is made. It is the form of the elephant that veils the wood and when the truth of the wood is seen, the elephant disappears. Likewise says the verse, this world made up of the five elements veils the Consciousness, and when one realises the latter, the former dissolves itself. Knowing, experiencing and becoming one with the Consciousness is Yoga. This Yoga practice varies according to individual temperament. The rationalistic, the devotional, the active and the mystic temperaments, with their countless permutation-combinations, make the Yoga practice of each individual distinct from those of others. Strictly speaking, no two aspirants can follow an exactly similar method. Notwithstanding this, there are common factors in the methodology adopted by all seekers. Not a few in this modern world are benefited by a combination of the essentials in the different Yoga systems. Hence it is that sages prescribe this wise mixture–a little of Japa, a little Asana and Pranayama, study of

Raja Yoga Samadhi Sri Swami Sivananda Introduction According to Raja Yoga, Samadhi is of two kinds, viz., Samprajnata and Asamprajnata. In the former, the seeds of Samskaras are not destroyed. In the latter, the Samskaras are fried or annihilated in toto. That is the reason why the former is called Sabija Samadhi (with seeds) and the latter as Nirbija Samadhi (without seeds or Samskaras). Samprajnata Samadhi leads to Asamprajnata Samadhi. The Samprajnata Samadhi is also known by the name Savikalpa Samadhi or Sabija Samadhi. This Samadhi brings perfect knowledge of the object of meditation. The mind continuously and to the exclusion of all other objects assumes the nature and becomes one with the object of its contemplation. The Yogi attains all the powers of controlling the nature in this Samadhi. The Samprajnata Samadhi is of four kinds, viz., Savitarka, Savichara, Sananda and Asmita Samadhi. All these Samadhis have something to grasp. There is Alambana or argumentation or questioning. They give intensive joy but they are not the best and finest forms of Samadhi. They cover the gross or the subtle elements of nature and the organs of sense. They give you the direct knowledge of the elements, objects and instruments of knowledge and some freedom. These stages are in the form of steps of an ascending staircase. To begin with, meditation should be done on a gross form. When you advance in this meditation, you can take to abstract meditation, or meditation on subtle things or ideas. Mind should be gradually disciplined and trained in meditation. It cannot all at once enter into the highest Asamprajnata Samadhi or that which constitutes the highest subtle essence. That is the reason why Patanjali Maharshi has prescribed the practice of various kinds of lower Samadhis. When the mind is extremely attached to gross objects, it is not possible to fix it on subtle objects all at once. There must be gradual ascent in the ladder of Yoga. You should place your footstep cautiously in each rung of the ladder. You should pass through successive stages before you attain the highest Asamprajnata or Nirvikalpa Samadhi. But Yoga-Bhrashtas who have passed through the lower stages in their previous birth can attain to the highest stage at the very outset through the grace of the Lord. If the Yogic student had reached the higher stage, he need not revert to the lower stages. All the forms of Samprajnata Samadhi are Salambana Yoga (with support) and Sabija Yoga (with seed of Samskara). The Yogins enjoy a form of freedom. Dharma Megha in Raja Yoga means “the cloud of virtue”. Just as clouds shower rain, so also this Dharma Megha Samadhi showers on the Yogins omniscience and all sorts of Siddhis or powers. The Yogi enjoys a form of freedom. Therefore, this Samadhi is called the Showerer or cloud (Megha) of virtue (Dharma). The Yogi enjoys expanded vision of God. Ritambhara, Prajnaloka, Prasannavahita are the three stages or Bhumikas of Samprajnata Samadhi. In Ritambhara the content of the mental Vritti is Satchidananda. There is still a separate knower. You get Yathartha Jnana or real wisdom. In the second, every kind of Avarana (veiling) is removed. The third state is the state of peace in which the mind is destitute of all mental modifications. The knowledge that you get from testimony and inference is above objects of the world; but the knowledge that you obtain from Samadhi is Divine Knowledge. It is super-sensual, intuitive knowledge where reason, inference and testimony cannot go. Savitarka and Nirvitarka Samadhis Savitarka Samadhi is Samadhi with reasoning. It is a superficial attempt of the mind to grasp any object. In this Samadhi, Sabda (sound), Artha (meaning), Jnana (knowledge) are mixed up. The. aspirant can meditate on the body of Virat or Lord Vishnu with four hands or Lord Krishna with flute in hand or any ordinary object. He will obtain the direct perception of all the peculiar features, the excellences (Gunas) and defects (Doshas) of the object of meditation. He will have complete knowledge of the object. He will be endowed with all the features of the object unheard of and unthought of. He will obtain these through Savitarka Samadhi. The Yogic student meditates on the object again and again by isolating it from other objects. You can meditate on the gross elements also. You will gain power over them through intense meditation. The elements will reveal to you their truths. Just as the new archer first aims at big object only and then at smaller ones gradually, so also the beginner in Yoga concentrates on the gross objects such as the five Maha Bhutas, Lord Hari with four hands, and then on subtle ones. In this manner the grasp of the objects by the mind becomes subtle. A Yogi directly perceives the real body of the Lord Vishnu as He lives in Vaikuntha, by the force of his meditation although he remains at a great distance from the Lord. In Savitarka Samadhi concentration is practised on gross objects and their nature in relation to time and space. This is a gross form of Samadhi. When the Yogi meditates on the elements as they are by taking them out of time and space, then it is called Nirvitarka Samadhi without questioning or reasoning or argumentation. This is a subtle form of Samadhi. In Savitarka there is Vikalpa or fanciful notion of word (Sabda), object (Artha) and idea (Jneya). There is no such notion in Nirvitarka Samadhi. There are three factors in the comprehension of a word, e.g., cow–(1) cow, the word, (2) cow, the object, (3) cow, the idea in the mind. When the meditator imagines these three to be one and the same, it is an instance of Vikalpa or fanciful notion of the word, object and idea. Savichara and Nirvichara Samadhis If you meditate on the subtle Tanmatras (subtle elements of matter) and their nature in relation to time and space, it is Savichara Samadhi with deliberation or discrimination. This is

Wake Up! What are the scriptures or texts? What is their genesis, and for whom are they intended? The question is very simple but very interesting because the scriptures have been with us for thousands of years, but our life seems to be the same as if the truths did not exist at all, as if we had nothing to go by. What happens to the scripture? Usually it adorns our libraries and is hardly ever looked at. You might have noticed that whenever people are asked to read from the Bible or some other text, they go to their favourite passage and keep reading that. It is like wearing blinkers. We don’t see the whole truth, so the scriptures don’t seem to make much of an impact upon us. So often we hear the truth, but even when it is spoken by a sage, a holy man, a yogi, a buddha, we pay just a nodding compliment to such truth. I have experienced this in India: someone admires the discourse saying: “Oh, it was marvellous, inspiring.” It was not supposed to be inspiring, it was supposed to shatter! I have heard such funny remarks after a discourse where the yogi had exposed the evil of wealth, for instance, and the best part of the audience were wealthy people. It did not touch them at all! Why is it that in spite of all these great sages and their teachings no change has taken place in our lives? We are still trapped on the same merry-go-round. Probably because we have not undergone one fundamental preliminary, and that is an inner awakening. We seem to be externally awake all the time, but inwardly we are fast asleep. We buy these big tomes of scriptures and use them as pillows, hoping that the message will somehow jump out of the covers and into our heads. It does not happen. And when we go to listen to these great men, we are definitely psychologically asleep, and very often even physically asleep! What is the first and foremost condition or qualification for being a true follower, a true disciple, or for even taking up the study of a scripture seriously? This definition is very beautifully put in that lovely scripture called the Yoga Vasistha. The fundamental requisite is that there should be a clear understanding and realisation that “I am trapped and I would like to be free from this trap.” If this is not there then the scriptures and lectures have no effect on us whatsoever. If you have the idea: “I am trapped, but I think I can find the way out”, then also there is no awakening. ‘I am trapped’ means I am trapped in every way, without redemption, without the possibility of an escape. Take, for instance, the problem of loneliness and boredom. What do we do in order to overcome this boredom or loneliness? We try to escape into something that only confirms that loneliness. We find ourselves a friend (with whom we are unable to relate) and enter into a relationship. So together there is a boredom, together there is a loneliness. Or, we turn on the tape recorder or record player, but that does not take our boredom away. We are masking that boredom, that loneliness, and trying to escape from it. Thus we enter into a deeper, more dangerous and deadly trap. If that is not clear then the inner awakening is not there. Is it possible to see that whatever we do we are in a trap? Anything that the mind creates is a trap. When there is this inner awakening then we will profit by scriptures and lectures–if we are not totally stupid and not, at the same time, enlightened. These are the qualifications. Totally stupid people have no problem at all, and the enlightened ones have no problem either. You and I, in the middle, are the ones harassed by problems. Total stupidity takes various forms but one characteristic is the ability to function as if intelligent. These people shy away from asking the right questions and can answer all the wrong questions. They are philosophers who can create a sense of intelligence without being intelligent. What are the right questions? That is the most important factor. “I am trapped wherever and which ever way I look. From morning till night I strive for happiness and I find nothing but unhappiness.” The very fact that we continue to strive for happiness shows that we are unhappy. Face it. Whatever we do in order to augment our happiness only destroys it. And yet intelligent people go on doing this. They want peace of mind and struggle for it. This struggle breaks the mind into several pieces. Then they catch hold of one little piece and think they are peaceful! That is the whole joke. Is that intelligence? Why is it that having understood this sequence of unfortunate events, we still pursue the game? If it is decided that it is not possible to attain peace of mind or happiness here, give up. Is that possible? No. Something still stirs inside: “I am trapped; it must be possible to get out of this; I would like to get out of this.” If this twin aspiration is there and if you are not completely stupid or enlightened, then you can proceed to understand the scriptures. And where the scripture is not meaningful, you can also take the help of a teacher. In the Katha Upanishad there is a beautiful declaration: uttishthata jagrata–wake up! No one else can do this for you. You can be the disciple of God Almighty Himself, but even He will not be able to wake up on your behalf. If you feel hungry, you yourself must eat. The guru is not going to do the eating for you. The guru may indicate to you, but it is your problem. And if you feel it is your problem, then you awaken, and then

Good Life and God-life Sri Swami Sivananda Peoplevery often fail to draw a distinction between good life and God-life or Divine Life. There are many well-intentioned individuals who think somewhat on the following lines: “Well, I am leading a good life. I am happily married. I live a clean life. I don’t drink; I don’t smoke; I have no bad habits. I am a vegetarian; I don’t take even eggs. I don’t cheat anyone. I earn by the sweat of my brow. What more do you want?”. Essentially, these are good people. They are certainly superior to the rogues and cheats and scoundrels of this world. They follow certain ethical codes. They pass for respectable citizens. All this is good. All these qualities make a good foundation. But, a foundation is not a building. It is not enough by itself. The superstructure, the building, has to come up. Goodness is not Godliness. Goodness makes for a good life in this world, but it will not bring spiritual salvation. The so-called good people are often selfish people tied down to their families and close friends. Their heart is still constricted. They are still followers of the Preyo Marga (path of immediate pleasure). They have some vague ideas about the Sreyo Marga (path of ultimate good), but are afraid to step on to the Sreyo Marga, afraid to pay the price of the Sreyo Marga. They have their fears about the sacrifices they will be called upon to make if they step onto the spiritual path. They cannot reconcile themselves to thoughts of making charity, loving strangers and enemies, eating in moderation, practising austerities, controlling anger and jealousy and things like that. If a person wants to register spiritual progress in life, he should first have this misunderstanding in his mind cleared. A good life is inadequate. What these people mean by ‘good life’ will be found to be, on close inspection, just a ‘non-evil life’. It is negative goodness. This alone will not do. Every man is a combination of beastliness, human nature and godliness. People who boast about their good life will generally be found to have transcended the beastly qualities in them, but that is only a beginning. They are still very much subject to the innumerable human foibles, failings and likes and dislikes. They suffer still from human vices like anger, jealousy and lust. Quite often they willjustify their wrong actions by expressing a thought like this: “Arey Yaar! After all, I am human. In a fit of passion, I made a mistake” or “In a fit of anger, I committed that crime” or “Under a sudden impulse of greed, I made that blunder”. These good people have still to conquer the human vices in them and cultivate the divine virtues or Daivi Sampat enunciated in the Gita. That is the beginning of spiritual practice. That is the beginning of a divine life. That is stepping on the road to Heaven. These men of little understanding–of meagre spiritual wisdom–identify good life with a pleasant life. They are men of weak will who are unwilling to face the unpleasantness and rigours of a truly spiritual life. You can see these people all over the world, in all walks of life, in all religions. Some of them openly deny the existence of God, but mostly affirm allegiance to formal religion, because they still have a flickering conscience. Their inner conscience, the voice of God within them, is still not completely stifled, is still not totally dead. Not only that. These friends suffer from a false sense of self-satisfaction and self-sufficiency. Since, by virtue of a little meritorious action in their previous lives, God has blessed them with creature comforts in the present life, they feel no need for any God, for any extraneous help. Their philosophy is: “Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die”. If you ask them, “What will happen to you in the next birth if you don’t accumulate merit by virtuous actions in the present birth?”, they have their ready answer which they fling at you “Who knows if there is another birth? Who knows what happens when you die?” For them, the present life is all. Even if you try to tell them about the reincarnation theory, which has been demonstrated and reinforced by the discovery of so many real-life instances and supporting evidence, they are in no mood to listen. They have a closed mind. They suffer from a sense of self-sufficiency. Self-sufficiency and self-justification are among the greatest stumbling blocks to spiritual progress. The man who is ignorant but is willing to take in wisdom from whatever source it comes, in other words, the ignorant but humble man, can be helped by a man of greater wisdom. The man who is already wise, but who is unable to practise his wisdom in daily life because of his overwhelming pride, also has a chance to improve, because his pride will encounter resistance from the universe and will be quelled in due course. Then he will become humble and will begin to live wisely. But the ignorant man who is at the same time arrogant, who is at the same time filled with the notion that he is all-wise, is the most difficult of all to reform. Even God cannot help him. His is a hopeless situation.

The Pure and the Impure Mind Sri Swami Sivananda The Sanskrit term for mind is Manas. Manas is said to be of two kinds, the pure and the impure. That which is associated with the thought of desire is the impure, while that which is without desire is the pure. The pure mind is otherwise known by the name higher mind. The impure mind is called lower mind. To men their mind alone is the cause of bondage or emancipation. That mind which is attracted by objects of sense tends to bondage, while that which is not attracted tends to emancipation. There is said to be salvation for a mind without a desire for sensual objects. An aspirant after emancipation should therefore render his mind ever free from all longing after material objects. The impure mind or Ashuddha Manas is filled with impure Vasanas (tendencies in the mind), Rajas and Tamas and the pure mind or Shuddha Manas is filled with pure Vasanas and Sattva. The impure Vasanas generate rebirths. The pure mind with pure Vasanas leads to Moksha or liberation from births and deaths. The worldly-minded persons work with the lower or the impure mind. They are bound by their Karmas. The liberated sages work with the pure or Sattvic mind (higher mind). They are not bound by their Karmas as they have no egoism and as they do not expect fruits for their actions. The impure mind is unsteady. It ever fluctuates. It jumps from one object to another. It ever hankers after sensual objects. It is filled with various sorts of fears and pains. The pure mind is steady. It does Brahma Vichara. It rests in Supreme Self. It does not move towards sensual objects. It is free from all sorts of fears and pains. The impure mind is no other than the Vasanas (subtle desires) that generate countless births. The mind becomes a prey to various kinds of desires through its fluctuation. Fluctuation is caused by Rajas and Vikshepa Shakti. When the mind fluctuates, it wanders from one object to another object. The Ajnani or worldly minded man is swayed by the impure mind. He acts according to the dictates of the lower or impure mind. But a sage or Jnani keeps his mind under his perfect control. He acts in accordance with the voice of his intuition. Just as a washerman removes dirt through dirt, just as a traveller removes the thorn in his foot through another thorn, so also the impure mind should be slain by the pure mind. He who has annihilated the lower or the impure mind drives away rebirths to a great distance from him. The pure Vasanas with which the sage performs actions cannot produce rebirths for him. All impure Vasanas are fried in toto when you get knowledge of the Self or Brahma Jnana. Meditation, Japa, Kirtan, practice of Pranayama, Brahma Vichara, study of religious books and Satsanga generate pure Vasanas. When the mind is freed from the desires for objects and when it rests in the Self or Atman, you will enjoy Eternal Bliss. When the mind is freed from all cravings or longing for objects, when it is controlled in the heart, when it attains the reality of the Atman, you will attain Moksha or the final beatitude of life. O beloved Ram! Do not allow your mind to fluctuate. Render your mind ever free from all longings after material objects. Annihilate the impure or lower mind with the help of the pure or the higher mind and transcend the higher mind also. May you be as firm as a rock! May you be endowed with the pure or Sattvic mind! May you ever rest peacefully in the All-blissful Self!

Pratyahara Sri Swami Sivananda The Yogic student should practise Pratyahara after getting some success in the practice of Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama. Pratyahara is abstraction or withdrawal of the senses from their objects. The senses are held in check by this practice. Real inner life begins when the aspirant is established in this practice. That Yogic student who jumps at once to the practice of meditation without practising abstraction is a deluded soul. He will have no success in contemplation. Pratyahara checks the outgoing tendencies of the senses. It puts a break, as it were, on the senses. Pratyahara follows automatically the practice of Pranayama. When the life-force is controlled by the regulation or restraint of breath, the senses become thinned out. They are starved to death. They get emaciated. They cannot hiss now when they come in contact with the objects. Pratyahara is a trying discipline. It is disgusting in the beginning but later on it becomes very interesting. You will feel immense inner strength. It demands considerable patience and perseverance. It will give you tremendous power. You will develop immense will-power. During the course of practice, the senses will run again and again like a wild bull towards objects. You will have to withdraw them again and again and fix the mind on the Lakshaya or point. That Yogi who is well established in the practice of Pratyahara can meditate quite calmly even in the battlefield when countless machine-guns are fired. In the practice of Pratyahara you will have to drag the outgoing senses again and again from the sensual objects and fix the mind on your Lakshya or point, just as the cart-driver drags the impetuous bulls and fixes them to the yoke. You must take particular care to drag the senses gently. Some aspirants draw them vehemently. That is the reason why they experience a little headache sometimes. You should practise withdrawal of the senses one by one. dealing with the most turbulent senses in order. If you try to manipulate all the senses at one time, you will fail. Mind is the commander-in-chief. The senses are the soldiers. The senses cannot do anything without the co-operation of the mind. If you can disconnect the mind from the senses, there will be abstraction of the senses automatically. If one has intense Vairagya, practice of Pratyahara will be easy. Dispassion is the enemy of the senses. Some Yogic students practise Pratyahara for 2 or 3 years and yet do not attain success, the simple reason being that they have not yet fully annihilated the cravings and lurking desires. They get themselves attached to some sensual objects. Discrimination helps a great deal in attaining success in Pratyahara. A Bhakta or a devotee does not practise Pratyahara. He tries to get himself drowned in the Prem of the Lord. He attempts to fix his mind either at His lotus feet or charming face. Consequently he gets established in Pratyahara. A Raja Yogi practises Pratyahara deliberately. A Jnana Yogi does not practise Pratyahara but tries to identify himself with the hidden Self in all objects by negating the names and forms.