Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini means kund (depth) and alini(awakening/energy). It translates into the vast resource of energy within all of us, lying deep inside, waiting to be awakened. The only thing any layperson would know about Kundalini yoga is the fallacious concept that is meant to awaken the sexual prowess. In this powerful age of branding, it was promoted as such. And in the process, it got shrouded in awe, fear with a cloak of mystery.

Kundalini arousal, particularly partial arousal, is more prevalent than usually imagined. It is a process that is more commonly addressed in occult/esoteric circles than scientific writings; indeed it could be said that medical science shows little appreciation of, nor understanding of, kundalini.

Yoga Guru, Sartak Raje says, "In Sanskrit, Kundalini literally means, `That which is coiled`. This coiled serpent is believed to be lying at the base of our spine and can spring awake when activated by spiritual disciplines. Here, the spiritual discipline being, practicing Kundalini Yoga. A poetic way of describing the word `kundalini` is "the curl of the lock of hair of the beloved". It is a metaphor describing the flow of energy and consciousness which already exists within individuals."

Although Kundalini is very much a physical form of yoga, the main benefit is derived from the inner experience. Most popularly known as the `Yoga of awareness`, Kundalini yoga awakens the unlimited potential already existing in all human beings. When this energy is awakened in the body, it gives the individual enhanced intuition and mental clarity and creative potential.

When and where does Kundalini start?

Spontaneous Kundalini arousal whether full or partial is often associated with a history of meditation, yoga or prayer. The energy release begins in the lower part of the body and moves upwards. It often starts in the feet, but many say that it starts with the lower chakra that is located near the perineum. The order and progression of the energy through the chakras varies with each individual.

This internal transfer of energy, which can be extremely powerful, is accompanied by many different feelings, usually new to the recipient and is therefore bewildering or even frightening.

There are many ways to awaken the kundalini, the sexual path is just one of them. The many ways are Hatha yoga, Raja yoga, Bhakti yoga, Gyan yoga and the path of tantra
Kundalini Chakras

A chakra is thought to be an energy node in the human body. The seven main chakras are described as being aligned in an ascending column from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The chakras are thought to encourage the physical body and to be associated with interactions of both a physical and mental nature. They are considered as prana, which is thought to flow among them along pathways called nadis. The seven chakras reflect how the unified consciousness of man is divided to manage different aspects of earthly life.

The power of Kundalini

The power of Kundalini involves two kinds of energy. One which is the air energy, which is referred to as chi, or ki, or prana, and then there`s also the Kundalini Shakti energy or the energy of cosmic consciousness. If the sadhak has his third eye opened, he can actually see the prana particles in the air. There are lots of tiny swirling comets that seem to wink in and out of existence in all the materials around us. These tiny swirling comets are prana particles. The prana or Chi energy needs to be directed and exaggerated by human thought. One can change it, direct it and also alter it.

The power of Kundalini Shakti is very different because the sadhak cannot tell it what to do. The sadhak can only request the Shakti to rouse, but its impossible to control the Shakti energy. The Kundalini Shakti possesses its own intelligence that is infinitely wiser than any human being.

Beneficial or adverse effects.

The kundalini process is usually unrecognized and unexpected, and often results in apprehension, anxiety, panic and fear: "utterly paralyzing waves of panic/anxiety for which there is no obvious cause" as Yoga guru, Sartak Raje puts it.

The traditional attitude is that one should not seek kundalini unless one is "pure". Certainly it would seem unwise to unleash great energies within the body if they cannot be controlled, and it is always better to guard against tampering with something that is not fully understood. Care must be taken while treading this path, as when shakti climbs up the different chakras, it is in a wild state and it can encounter the demonic aspects of consciousness.

Benefits:

If practiced regularly, Kundalini can strengthen the nervous system, balance the glandular system, and harness the energy of the mind and emotion as well as the body.
Better functioning of your body :Kundalini Yoga, in combination with the right lifestyle changes, will put your digestive, nervous, lymphatic, cardiovascular, glandular and all other systems in proper working order.

Emotional balance: This attribute helps you to be the master of your life and not allow subjective mental states to cloud your ability to make clear decisions and act in accordance with your true values.

Increases sensory awareness:The ability to touch, taste, feel and see with sensitivity, and to put your perceptions into the framework of knowledge you can use.

Enhances intuitive power :The sixth sense is a gift we all posses. Kundalini Yoga works on your higher brain centers, and gives you the nuance to compute the particulars of any situation and to arrive at a set of certainties you can bet on. Stronger intuition also alerts us of dangers and we do not attract negative forces.

Kundalini in the world's religions

Kundalini as a spiritual experience is thought to have parallels in many of the mystical traditions of the world's great religions. Many factors point to the universality of the phenomenon. The early Christians might have referred to the concept as 'pneuma', and there are some recent parallels in contemporary Christian charismatic 'Holy Ghost' phenomena. Religious studies also note parallels in Quakerism, Shakerism, Judaic davening (torso-rocking prayer), the swaying zikr and whirling dervish of Islam, the quivering of Eastern Orthodox hesychast, the flowing movements of tai chi, the ecstatic shamanic dance etc.

very Flexible like Rubber Girls

very Flexible like Rubber Girls

Yoga Postures

Yoga Postures

SPIRITUAL DIARY

1. When did you get up from bed?
“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” You must get up at 4 a.m., and practise Japa and meditation. The meditative state of the mind will come by itself without exertion at this period.
2. How many hours did you sleep?
Sleep for six hours is quite sufficient for every individual. Go to bed at 10 p.m., and get up at 4 a.m. Napoleon Bonaparte believed in only four hours of sleep. Too much sleep makes a man dull and lethargic. Too much sleep causes premature decay and weakens the brain-power. Those spiritual aspirants who want to do rigorous Sadhana should reduce the sleep gradually. For three months reduce the sleep by half an hour. During the next three months go to bed at 11 p.m., and get up at 4 a.m. In this way you can conquer sleep and become one like Arjuna or Lakshmana.
3. How many Malas of Japa?
Japa is an important limb of Yoga. In this Kali Yuga, Japa and Kirtan are effective Sadhanas for God-realisation. Japa results in Samadhi or communion with God. Japa is the repetition of the name of the Lord. There are three varieties of Japa, viz., Vaikhari (verbal), Upamsu (whispering), andManasic (mental). Have a JapaMala (rosary) round your neck or in your pocket or underneath your pillow at night. Use aMala of 108 beads. AMala is a whip to goad the mind towards God. The fruits of Manasic Japa are ten thousand times more than Vaikhari or Upamsu. Always try to do mental Japa when you are busy in daily activities. Make it a point to repeat the Mantra some thousand times and record the number in the diary.
4. How long in Kirtan?
Repetition of God’s name enables the devotee to feel the divine presence, the divine glory and the divine consciousness within himself and also everywhere. How powerful is God’s name! When one sings His name or hears its sound, he is unconsciously raised to sublime spiritual heights.
He loses his body-consciousness. He is immersed in joy and drinks deep the divine nectar of immortality. Sankirtan is singing God’s name with Bhava and Prema or divine feeling. Sankirtan brings Darshan of God or attainment of divine consciousness easily in this Kali Yuga.
5. How many Pranayamas?
Pranayama is ‘control of breath’. Sit in Padmasana, Sukhasana, or any other comfortable pose, with an empty stomach. Close your eyes. Close the right nostril with the thumb. Draw in the air very very slowly through the left nostril. Now close your left nostril with the little and right fingers, and retain the breath as long as you can comfortably keep. Then very very slowly exhale
through the right nostril after removing the thumb. Again draw in the air through the right nostril retain it as long as you can and exhale through the left nostril very slowly. This is one Pranayama. To start with, do five Pranayamas in the morning and evening and gradually increase to 10 or 20. This is Sukhapurvaka—easy, comfortable Pranayama.
6. How long did you perform Asanas?
Asana is the first stage of Ashtanga Yoga. Padmasana and Siddhasana are intended for doing Japa and meditation. Do not often change the Asana. Stick to one and gradually increase the period to even three hours. Sirshasana, Sarvangasana and other exercises are intended for maintaining good health. They remove various diseases. These Asanas will awaken the Kundalini Sakti. Perform the Asanas when the stomach is empty or light. Early morning and evening are very good for the practice of Asanas. Practise the Asanas in well-ventilated roomor on the sandy beds of rivers, open airy places, or seaside. During the practice repeat your Ishta or Guru Mantra.
7. How long did you meditate in one Asana?
Sit in Padmasana or Sukhasana in your meditation room. Early morning between 4 and 6 is the best period for contemplation and Japa.You can have another sitting in the night also. Take your seat before the picture of your Ishta Devata. Look at the picture steadily for a few minutes. Repeat some Stotras mentally. Then close your eyes and visualise the picture. Repeat the Ishta Mantra mentally. Sit for meditation for half an hour in the beginning and try to increase the period to three hours by gradual daily practice.When you sit on your Asana for meditation, do not shake the body. Try to keep up one current of thought of God.
8. How many Gita Slokas did you read or get by heart?
Study of scriptures is Kriya Yoga or Niyama. It purifies the heart and fills the mind with sublime and elevating thoughts. Gita is a unique book for Svadhyaya. It contains the essence of all the Yogas and the cream of the Vedas. You can devote half an hour to three hours for this purpose according to the time at your disposal.
9. How long in the company of the wise (Satsanga)?
The glory and power of Satsanga or association with the wise, Saints, Yogins, Sannyasins and Mahatmas, is described in detail in Bhagavata, Ramayana, and other holy scriptures. Even a moment’s company is quite sufficient to overhaul the old vicious Samskaras of the people. Service to Mahatmas purifies the mind of passionate men rapidly. Satsanga elevates the mind to magnanimous heights. Study of books written by realised persons will also be tantamount to Satsanga.
10. How many hours did you observe Mouna?
Monna means vow of silence. Energy is wasted in idle talking and gossiping. Mouna develops will-power. Mouna checks the impulse of speech. It is a great help for the observance of truth and control of anger. Emotions are controlled and irritability vanishes.ObserveMouna at least for one hour or two hours a day. DuringMouna, sublime thoughts should replace worldly thoughts and Japa should be done.
11. How long in disinterested selfless service?
The practice of Nishkama Karma Yoga destroys sins and impurities of the mind and causes Chitta Suddhi or purity of Antahkarana. Knowledge of Self dawns in a pure mind. Knowledge of Self is the only direct means to freedom. Nishkama Karma Yoga is selfless service to humanity. The important point is to serve humanity without any attachment or egoism. The central teaching of the Gita is non-attachment to work. Sri Krishna says: “Work incessantly. Your duty is to work but not to expect the fruits thereof.” Do vigorous service for some time. You will grasp the spirit of Nishkama Karma.
12. How much did you give in charity?
When you walk along the road or street, keep always some loose coins in your pocket and distribute them to the poor. Be liberal. Feel that you are enjoying in all the bodies. Your heart will expand. You will begin to realise unity or oneness. You will become more generous. Do regular charity of one tenth of your income. Performance of virtuous actions is the beginning of spiritual life.
13. How many Mantras did you write?
Maintain a Mantra notebook. Write your Ishta Mantra, Guru Mantra or Maha Mantra for half an hour in this notebook. You should preferably do this item of Sadhana just before the commencement of the household duties. You should observe Mouna or silence while writing the Mantra. There should be perfect calmand quietude. You should concentrate on the writing alone. In Mantra writing, the eyes, the hands and the mind are all engaged. There is no restriction of language. If this practice is continued with sincerity, the aspirant gets concentration easily and much internal peace and happiness.
14. How long did you practise physical exercise?
Physical culture or the development of the body is asmuch important as the development of themind,will, ormemory. If the body is not kept strong and healthy, vigorous and active, no culture is possible. “Mens sana in corpore sano” is a wise saying which means—a sound mind in a sound body. There are different kinds of physical culture. You will have to select one according to your capacity, taste and temperament.
15.How many lies did you tell and with what Self-punishment?
Srutis emphatically declare: “Satyam Vada—Speak the Truth”. “Satyameva Jayate Nanritam—Truth alone triumphs but not falsehood”. A truthful man is absolutely free from worries and anxieties. He has a calm mind. He is respected by all. If you observe speaking the truth for twelve years, you will have Vak-Siddhi. Then whatever you speak will come to pass. Speak the truth. Truth is Knowledge. Truth is Bliss. Truth guides you in all your actions. Write in bold types the words: “Speak Truth” on cardboards and hang them in different places in your house. This will remind you when you speak a lie. You will check yourself at once. Punish yourself by fasting if you tell a lie and record the lies in the diary. Gradually the number of lies will decrease and you will become a truthful man.
16.How many times and how long of anger and with what self-punishment?
Anger is an enemy to peace. It is amodification of lust.When a desire is not gratified, aman becomes angry. He loses his memory and understanding. Control anger by the practice of Kshama, love and killing egoism. Drink a little water when you become angry. It will cool the brain and calm the excited nerves. Repeat “Om Santi” several times. If you find it extremely difficult to control anger, leave the place immediately and take a walk for half an hour. Pray to God. Do Japa. Meditation gives immense strength to destroy anger and other obstacles.
17.How many hours did you spend in useless company?
The so-called friends are real enemies. You cannot find even a single unselfish friend in this universe. Be careful. Friends come to have idle talks with you and they waste your time. They want to pull you down and make you also worldly. Do not be carried away by the flowery speech of such friends. Cut off connections ruthlessly. Live alone at all times. Trust in that immortal friend who dwells in your heart. If you cannot have positive Satsanga of Mahatmas, have indirect Satsanga with books written by realised Sages, Saints and Bhagavatas.
18. How many times did you fail in Brahmacharya?
No spiritual progress is possible without the practice of celibacy. Veerya is a dynamic force. It should be converted into Ojas-Sakti. Those who are very eager to have God-realisation should observe unbroken celibacy strictly. Observe the vow of Brahmacharya strictly.
19. How long in study of religious books?
Be regular in the study of religious books, Ramayana, Bhagavata, Yoga Vasishtha and other good books, for Svadhyaya. If you reflect on the ideas of Gita and fix the mind on these ideas, this itself is a form of lower Samadhi. Svadhyaya is an auxiliary for concentration. Svadhyaya will check mind-wandering also.
20.Howmany times did you fail in the control of evil habits and withwhat self-punishment?
There are some who are unconscious of their bad habits and many who do not recognise them as bad. If they recognise themto be bad, then the correction is very simple. Alcohol is a strong devil, which if once enters the system of a man will never leave him. Then comes, smoking. Another evil habit is betel-chewing. Drinking of strong tea and coffee often develops a bad habit. Novel reading, visiting cinemas, sleeping in the daytime, using slang terms and abuses, etc., are some of the evil habits. First realise that you have got an evil habit and intensely desire that you should give it up at any cost. Then your success has already come.Giving up any bad habit at once is better. Use your subconscious mind for eradication. Establish new healthy habits and develop your will. There is nothing impossible under the Sun.
21.How long you did concentrate on your Ishta Devata (Saguna or Nirguna Dhyana)?
Concentration can be done only if you are free from all distractions. Concentrate on anything that appeals to you as good or anything which the mind likes best. The mind should be trained to concentrate on gross objects in the beginning and, later on, you can successfully concentrate on subtle objects and abstract ideas. Regularity in the practice is of paramount importance.
Gross Forms: Concentrate on a black dot on the wall or a candle-flame, a bright star, moon, on the picture of Om, Lord Siva, Rama, Krishna, Devi, or your Ishta Devata in front of you with open eyes.
Subtle Forms: Sit before the picture of your IshtaDevata and close your eyes.Keep amental picture of your Ishta Devata at the space between the two eyebrows, or heart (Anahata Chakra); concentrate on Muladhara, Anahata, Ajna or any other internal Chakra; concentrate on the divine qualities such as love,mercy, or any other abstract ideas, Sat ChitAnanda, purity, perfection, peace.
22.How many days did you observe fast and vigil?
Keeping wide awake throughout the night is called vigil. You will derive incalculable benefit if you practise vigil on Vaikuntha-Ekadasi, Sivaratri, Gokulashtami day (the birthday of Sri Krishna). Complete fasting helps to control the sleep. Control of sleep by taking recourse to tea is not desirable. You will not gain spiritual strength as you depend upon an extraneous drug. During fasting avoid company. Live alone. Utilise your time in Yogic Sadhana. After a fast, do not take any heavy food. Milk or some fruit-juice is beneficial.
23. Were you regular in your meditation?
Never miss a day in meditation. Be regular and systematic. Regularity in meditation is of paramount importance. The meditative state will come by itself at the appointed time. Take Sattvic food. Fruits andmilk will helpmental focussing.When themind is tired, do not concentrate. Give it a little rest.
24. What virtues are you developing?
Develop that virtue in which you are hopelessly lacking. Courage, mercy, universal love, nobility, Kshama, contentment, frankness and honesty must be developed one by one. Take up one virtue every month and meditate on that virtue regularly. You will manifest that virtue in your character. If you develop one important virtue, all other virtues will cling to you. If you have humility and courage, all other virtues will come of their own accord. You should spend daily some time, say half an hour, for development of virtues.
25.What evil quality are you trying to eradicate?
The development of virtuous qualities will itself remove the negative qualities. But it is better to make a positive attempt also in the eradication of the evil qualities. Then the progress will be rapid. It is a double attack on the enemy. If you remove lust or anger or egoism, all other evil qualities will disappear by themselves. All evil qualities are the attendants of egoism. All vices originate from anger. If these are destroyed, all sorts of vices will vanish. Therefore, concentrate your attention in killing egoism or anger.
26. Which Indriya is troubling you most?
Discipline of the Indriyas is a very important point. If the Indriyas are turbulent, you cannot have concentration.Watch every Indriya carefully and curb it by suitable methods, such as fasting, Mouna, Tratak, celibacy, renunciation of articles, Dama and Pratyahara. Curbing of Indriyasmeans curbing of mind. They cannot do any independent work without the direct help of the mind. Celibacy checks the genitals; Mouna will control the organ of speech; Tratak controls the eyes. Sufficient practice for a long time is necessary. Then the Indriyas become emaciated and thin and are starved to death.
27. When did you go to bed?
Sleep is nature’s tonic, for healthy living. The more sound sleep one has, the more healthy he would be. Hours of sleep depend upon your physical or mental capacity for resisting fatigue. Without a sufficiency of sleep, you will not have efficiency. The amount of sleep required varies with age, temperament and amount of work. According to an old adage there should be six hours’ sleep for aman, seven for awoman and eight for a fool.As age advances, people require more sleep. Avoid going late to bed. Do not take drugs to induce sleep. If you do not get sleep, take a brisk walk in the open air for fifteen minutes and then go to bed. You will have refreshing sleep.

IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING A SPIRITUAL DIARY

The keeping up of a daily spiritual diary is an indispensable requisite and of paramount importance. Those who are already in the habit of keeping it know its incalculable advantages.Diary is a whip for goading the mind towards God. It shows the way to freedom and eternal bliss. It is your Guru. It is the eye-opener. It develops the Manana-Sakti or the power of reflection. It will help you to destroy all your evil qualities and to be regular in your spiritual practices. If you regularly maintain a diary, you will get solace, peace of mind and quick progress in the spiritual path. Those who desire to grow in morality and spirituality, those who wish to evolve rapidly must keep a daily record of their actions.
All great men of the world keep diaries. The life of Benjamin Franklin is known to you all. He kept a daily diary. He noted down the number of untruths and wrong actions for which he was responsible during the course of the day. In course of time, he became a perfectman. He had perfect control over his mind. Mahatma Gandhi used to advise the students to keep a daily diary always. A big thief is hiding himself in your brain. He has snatched away your Atmic pearl. He is giving you immense worries and troubles. He is deluding you. The thief is yourmind. Youmust not be lenient towards him.Youmust kill himruthlessly. There is no other sword sharper than this diary to kill him. It checks his happy-go-lucky ways and destroys himeventually. All your dailymistakes will be corrected. A good time will come when you will be entirely free from anger, untruth, lust, etc. You will become a perfect Yogi.
Your father andmother gave you this body. They gave you food and clothing. But this diary is superior to your parents. It shows the way to freedom and eternal bliss. It gives you solace, satisfaction and peace of mind. Turn the pages of your diary carefully once a week. If you can record your actions every hour, your growthwill be rapid.Happy is themanwho keeps a daily diary for he is very near to God. He has a strong will and he is free from defects and mistakes.
By keeping a spiritual diary you can then and there rectify your mistakes. You can do more Sadhana and evolve quickly. There is no other best friend and faithful teacher or Guru than your diary. It will teach you the value of time. At the end of every month calculate the total number of hours you spent in Japa, study of religious books, Pranayama, Asanas, sleep, etc. Then you will be able to know how much time You are spending for religious purposes. You have got every chance to increase the period of Japa, meditation, etc., gradually. If you maintain a daily diary properly, without any fault in any of the items, you will not like to waste even a single minute unnecessarily.
Then alone will you understand the value of time and how it slips away. Compare the total of the lastmonth with those of the previousmonths. Find out whether you have progressed in your Sadhana or not. If you have not progressed, increase your practice daily. You can do more Sadhana and evolve quickly.
In maintaining a diary, you should not utter any falsehood anywhere. You are keeping it only for your own benefit. It is the diary of a religious aspirant who is treading the path of truth to realise Truth. Acknowledge your faults openly and endeavour to rectify yourself in future. You should not neglect to record everything in your diary. It is better if you compare the progress of your work of the present week with that of the previous week. If you are not able to do so once a week, youmust at any cost compare it once amonth. Then you will be able tomake various adjustments in different items, increase the period of Japa and meditation and decrease the time of sleep.
Self-punishment consists in giving up the night meals and in doing fiftyMalas of Japa more than the usual number. The filling in of the form should not be a mere routine work. The annexed form is only a specimen for guidance. These items should be copied on a foolscap size paper neatly with columns drawn for all the days of the month.
Do not be ashamed tomention yourmistakes, vices and failures. This ismeant only for your own progress. Do not waste your precious hours. It is enough that you have wasted somany years in idle gossiping. Enough, enough of the troubles you had all these days in satisfying your senses. Do not say, “Fromtomorrow, I will be regular.” That “tomorrow” will never come. Be sincere and start doing Sadhana from this moment. If you are really sincere, He is ever ready to help you and give you a push in your spiritual march.
He who regulates his life on the above lines is sure to become a Jivanmukta or a Yogi in this very birth. Do it practically and see how you grow. Start maintaining a spiritual diary from this moment itself and realise the marvellous results.

SELF-ANALYSIS

Daily self-analysis or self-examination is an indispensable requisite. Then alone can you remove your defects and can grow rapidly in spirituality. A gardener watches the young plants very carefully. He removes the weeds daily. He puts a strong fence around them. He waters them at the proper time. Then alone they grow beautifully and yield fruits quickly. Even so, you should find out your defects through daily introspection and self-analysis and then eradicate them through suitable methods. If one method fails, you must adopt a combined method. If prayer fails, you should take recourse to Satsanga or association with the wise, Pranayama, meditation, dietetic regulation, enquiry, etc. You should destroy not only big waves of pride, hypocrisy, lust, anger, etc., that manifest on the surface of the conscious mind, but also their subtle impressions which lurk in the corners of the subconscious mind. Then only are you perfectly safe.
These subtle impressions are very dangerous. They lurk like thieves and attack you when you are napping, when you are not vigilant, when your dispassion wanes, when you slacken a bit your daily spiritual practice, and when you are provoked. If these defects do not manifest even under extreme provocation on several occasions, even when you are not practising daily introspection and self-analysis, you can be rest assured that the subtle impressions also are obliterated. Now you are safe. The practice of introspection and self-analysis demands patience, perseverance, leech-like tenacity, application, iron will, iron determination, subtle intellect, courage, etc. But you will gain a fruit of incalculable value. The precious fruit is immortality, Supreme Peace and Infinite Bliss. You will have to pay a heavy price for this. Therefore you should not murmur when you do daily practice. You should apply your full mind, heart, intellect and soul to spiritual practice. Then only rapid success is possible.
Keep daily spiritual diary and practise self-analysis (self-examination) at night. Note down howmany good actions you have done, whatmistakes you have committed during the course of the day. In the morning resolve: “I will not yield to anger today. I will practise celibacy today. I will speak truth today.”

DIVINE MESSAGE

Pure as the snow of the Himalayas, bright as sunlight, expansive as the sky, all-pervading as the ether; unfathomable as the ocean, cool as the waters of the Ganges, is the Immortal Atman—the substratum for this world, body, mind and Prana. Nothing is sweeter than this Atman.
Purify your heart and meditate. Plunge deep in your heart. Dive deep into the innermost recess. You will find it. Only if you search in deep water, you will find the pearl of Atman. If you keep to the shore, you will find broken shells only.
The best flower that can be offered to the Lord is your heart. Penetrate more deeply into the infinite domain of Kailas, the kingdom of illimitable bliss and boundless joy and peace within. Just as the light is burning within the hurricane lantern, so also, the divine light is burning within the heart. You can behold the divine light through your inner third eye or the eye of intuition by withdrawing the senses and stilling the mind.
It takes a long time for charcoal to catch fire but gunpowder can be ignited within the twinkling of an eye. Even so, it takes a long time for igniting the fire of knowledge for a man whose heart is impure. But an aspirant with great purity of heart gets knowledge of the Self, within the twinkling of an eye with the time taken to squeeze a flower by the fingers.
Armed with patience, perseverance, tranquillity and courage, slowly ascend, peak after peak, subdue the Indriyas one by one, control the thoughts one by one, eradicate the Vasanas one by one and eventually reach the summit of Self-realisation or Divine Glory.
O friend! Wake up. Sleep no more. Meditate. It is Brahmamuhurta now. Open the gate of the temple of the Lord in your heartwith the key of love.Hear themusic of the soul. Sing the song of Prema to your beloved. Play themelody of the Infinite.Melt yourmind in His contemplation. Unite with Him. Immerse yourself in the ocean of Love and Bliss.

DIVINE LIFE

Divine life is life in God or the Immortal Soul. He who leads the divine life is free from cares, worries, anxieties, miseries, sufferings and tribulations. He attains immortality, perfection, freedom, independence, eternal peace, supreme bliss and perennial joy. He radiates joy, peace and light everywhere.
To lead the divine life, you need not retire into forests. You can lead the divine life, while remaining in the world. What is wanted is renunciation of egoism, mineness, attachment, Vasanas and Trishnas. Give the mind to God and the hands to the service of humanity.
Serve humanity with Atma Bhava. Serve the poor. Serve the sick with Narayana Bhava. Serve the society. Serve the country. Selfless service is the highest Yoga. Samadhi will come by itself without any effort for one, who is solely absorbed in service, when his heart is purified.
Service is worship of the Lord. Never forget this. He who sees Brahman or the Immortal Soul in the spoon, Brahman in the medicine, Brahman in the patient, Brahman in the doctor, Brahman in
service, he who thinks or meditates thus, while doing service, verily reaches Brahman or the Eternal.
The practice of Brahmacharya is very important for spiritual progress. Brahmacharya is the basis for acquiring immortality. It is itself divine life. Brahmacharya brings material progress and psychic advancement. It is a substratum for a life of peace in Atma. It is a potent weapon for controlling the internal Rajasic forces, viz., Kama, Krodha, Lobha, etc. It gives tremendous energy and gigantic will power and good Vichara Sakti.
Japa is an important Anga of Yoga or divine life. AMantra is divinity. Japa is the repetition of theMantra or the names of the Lord. In Kali Yuga, practice of Japa alone can give eternal peace, bliss and immortality. Japa ultimately results in Samadhi or communion with the Lord. Sankirtan is the singing of Lord’s names with faith and devotion.When you sing His names, feel that Lord Hari or Ishta Devata is seated in your heart, that every name of the Lord is filled with divine potencies, that the old vicious Samskaras and Vasanas are burnt by the power of the name and that themind is filled with Sattva or purity, that Rajas and Tamas are completely destroyed, and that the veil of ignorance is torn down. This kind of mental attitude brings the maximum benefit of Sankirtan. It is not the number of Japa or the length of time of Kirtan that counts for spiritual growth but it is the intensity of Bhava with which the Lord’s names are sung.

THY REAL NATURE

Religion is faith for knowing and worshipping God. It is not amatter for discussion at a club table. It is the perception and realisation of the True Self. It is the fulfilment of the deepest craving in man. Therefore, hold religion as the goal of your life. Live every second of your life for its realisation. Life without religion is real death.
Analyse your thoughts. Scrutinize your motives. Remove selfishness. Calm the passions. Control the Indriyas. Destroy egoism. Serve and love all. Purify your heart. Cleanse the dross of your mind. Hear and reflect. Concentrate and meditate. Attain Self-realisation.
There is something dearer than wealth. There is something dearer than your wife. There is something dearer than your children. There is something dearer than your life itself. That dearest something is thy own Self (Atman)—Inner Ruler (Antaryamin), Immortal (Amritam). This
Immortal Self can be realised by incessant practice of meditation.
O Saumya! Dear Immortal Self! Be bold: Be cheerful, even though you are unemployed, though you have nothing to eat, though you are clad in rags. Thy essential nature is Sat-Chit-Ananda. The outer cloak, this mortal physical sheath is an illusory production of Maya. Smile, whistle, laugh, jump, dance in joy and ecstasy. Sing OmOmOm! RamRamRam! Come out of this cage of flesh. Thou art sexless Atma. Thou art that Atma who dwells in the chambers of your heart. Act as such. Feel as such. Claim your birthright, not from tomorrow or the day after, but right now from this very second. “Tat Tvam Asi—Thou art That”. Feel, Assert, Recognise, Realise, my beloved Ram!
Find out your centre. Dwell always in this centre. This centre is the abode of Supreme Bliss and Eternal Sunshine. This centre is the ParamDhamor Paramagati or SupremeGoal. This centre is your sweet original home, the abode of immortality and fearlessness. This centre is Atma or Brahman. This is the Imperishable Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour and glory!

Yoga Incredible Positions

Yoga Incredible Positions

Yoga Incredible Positions

Yoga Incredible Positions

PRACTICE OF MEDITATION

Meditation is the only royal road to the attainment of salvation orMoksha.Meditation kills all pains, sufferings, the three kinds of Taapas (fevers) and the five Kleshas (sorrows). Meditation gives the vision of unity. Meditation produces sense of oneness. Meditation is an aeroplane that helps the aspirant to soar high in the realms of eternal bliss and everlasting peace. It is a mysterious ladder that connects earth and heaven and takes the aspirant to the immortal abode of Brahman.
Meditation is the continuous flow of one thought of God or Atman, like the continuous flow of oil from one vessel to another (Tailadharavat). Meditation follows Concentration.
Practise meditation in the early morning from 4 to 6 (Brahma-Muhurta). This is the best time for the practice of meditation.
Sit on Padma or Siddha or Sukha Asana. Keep the head, neck and the trunk in a straight line.
Concentrate either on the Trikuti—the space between the two eyebrows—or in the heart, with closed eyes.
Meditation is of two kinds, viz., Saguna Dhyana (concretemeditation) and Nirguna Dhyana (abstractmeditation). In concretemeditation the Yogi studentmeditates on the formof Sri Krishna, Rama, Sita, Vishnu, Siva, Gayatri or Devi. In abstract meditation, he meditates on his own Self or Atman.
Place the picture of Lord Hari with Chaturbhuja in front of you. Gaze at this picture steadily for five minutes, then close the eyes and visualise the picture. During visualisation move the mind on the various parts of Vishnu. See with themind His feet first, then in the following order: His legs, His yellow silk cloth, His golden necklace set with Kaustubha gem on the breast, the earring Makara Kundala, then the face, then the crown on the head, then the disc in the right upper hand, then the conch in the left upper hand, then the mace in the lower right hand, then the lotus in the lower left hand. Then come down to the feet and repeat the process again and again. Finally fix the mind either at the feet or the face. Repeat the Mantra mentally: “Hari Om” or “Om Namo Narayanaya”. Think of the attributes of the Lord such asOmnipotence,Omnipresence, Purity, etc.
Meditate on Om and its meaning with feeling. This is Nirguna Dhyana. Repeat Om mentally. Identify yourself with Atman. Feel, “I amthe all-pervading immortal Self or Atman. I am Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman. I am Sakshi or silent witness of three states and all modifications of the mind. I am pure consciousness. I am distinct from the body, mind, Prana and senses. I am the self-luminous Light of lights. I am the Eternal Supreme Soul.
If you have contentment, cheerfulness, patience, unruffled state of mind, sweet voice, one-pointedness of mind, light body, fearlessness, desirelessness, disgust for worldly things, know that you are advancing in the spiritual path and that you are nearing God.
Be regular in your meditation. Regularity is the key to success. Regularity is of paramount importance. May you all be established in Samadhi (superconscious state of bliss) through regular meditation!

UNIVERSAL LOVE

The only Sara Vastu in this world is Prema or love. It is eternal, infinite and undecaying. Physical love is passion or Moha or infatuation. Universal love is divine love. Cosmic love, Visva Prema, universal love are synonymous terms. God is Love. Love is God. Selfishness, greed, egoism, vanity, pride and hatred contract the heart and stand in the way of developing universal love.
Develop universal love gradually through selfless service, Satsanga (association with Mahatmas), prayer, recitation of Guru Mantra, etc. When the heart is contracted through selfishness, man loves his wife, children, a few friends and relations only, in the beginning. As he evolves, he loves the people of his own district, then the people of his own province. Later on, he develops love for men of his own country. Eventually he begins to love people of different countries. In the long run, he begins to love all. He develops universal love. All the barriers are broken now. Heart expands infinitely.
It is very easy to talk of universal love. But when you want to put it in actual practice, it becomes extremely difficult. Petty-mindedness of all sorts comes in the way. Old, wrong Samskaras (impressions) which you have created by your wrong mode of life in past, act as stumbling blocks. Through iron determination, strong will-power, patience, perseverance and Vichara (right enquiry), you can conquer all obstacles quite easily. The grace of the Lord will descend on you if you are sincere, my dear friends!
Universal love terminates in Advaitic unity or oneness or Upanishadic consciousness of Seers and Sages. Pure love is a great leveller. It brings equality. Hafiz, Kabir, Mira, Gouranga, Tukaram, Ramdas, all have tasted this universal love. What others have achieved, you can also
attain.
Feel that the whole world is your body, your own home. Melt or destroy all barriers that separate man from man. Idea of superiority is ignorance or delusion. Develop Visvaprema, all-embracing love. Unite with all. Separation is death. Unite in eternal life. Feel that the whole world is Visvabrindavan. Feel that this body is amoving temple of God.Wherever you are, whether at home, office, railway station ormarket, feel that you are in the temple. Consecrate every act as an offering unto the Lord. Transmute every work into Yoga by offering its fruits to God. Have Akartri-Sakshi Bhava, if you are a student of Vedanta. Have Nimitta Bhava, if you are a student of Bhakti Marga. Feel that all beings are images of God. Isa-Vasyamidam Sarvam—this world is indwelt by the Lord. Feel that one power or God works through all hands, sees through all eyes, hears through all ears. You will become a changed being. You will enjoy the highest peace and bliss.

May Lord Hari take you all to His bosom and bathe you with the waters of sweet love!
May your heart be filled with cosmic love!

LIVE IN GOD

Immortal Self.
There is a maker for a pot or a table. So, there must be a creator for this marvellous world also. That creator is GOD.
God is the wire-puller (Sutradhara) standing behind the machine of this world. He is the indweller of your heart. He presides over all actions (Karma-dhyaksha). He is the dispenser of the fruits of your actions. Live in God by singing His name, repeating HisMantra and surrendering the fruits of your actions unto Him.
The Lord abides in every creature. Behold the Lord in all objects, in allmanifestations.He is in the breath, in the voice, in the eyes. He is the Life of your life, Soul of your soul. Make no distinction between a Hindu and a Mussalman, a Protestant and a Catholic, a Saivite and a Vaishnavite.
Within you is the hidden God. Within you is the immortal soul. Within you is the inexhaustible spiritual treasure. Within you is the fountain of joy and happiness. Within you is the ocean of bliss. Look within for the happiness you have sought in vain in the perishable sensual objects. Rest peacefully in your own Atma and drink the nectar of Immortality.
Insure your life with God. Depend upon Himalone. All other insurance companies will fail, but this Divine Company will never fail. You need not pay any premium to this Divine Company.
You will have to love God only. You will have to give Him your heart. Satyam (truth) is the seed. Brahmacharya (celibacy) is the root. Meditation is the shower. Santi (peace) is the flower. Moksha (salvation) is the fruit. Therefore, speak truth. Practise Brahmacharya and meditation. Cultivate Santi. You will surely attain the final emancipation or freedom from the trammels of births and deaths and enjoy eternal bliss, supreme peace, perennial joy and immortality.
Surrender everything unto Him. Place your ego at His feet and be at ease. He will take complete charge of you. Let Him mould you in any way He likes. Let Him do exactly as He wills. He will remove all defects and weaknesses. He will play beautifully in this body flute. Hear the marvellous music of the flute of the Lord—the mysterious music of the soul—and rejoice.
Peace is a divine attribute. It is a quality of the soul. It cannot remain with greedy persons. It fills the pure heart. It is a sweet companion of sages and Yogins. It deserts the lustful. It runs away from the selfish. It is an ornament of a Paramahamsa.
“As you think, so you become.” This is the immutable psychological law. Your thoughts make your life. You can choose your thoughts. You can choose your mode of thinking. You can make your life as you choose. If you entertain evil thoughts, you will lead a miserable life. If you cultivate sublime thoughts, you will attain Godhead.
May you all prosper gloriously! May you all lead the divine life singing Hari’s Name, serving the poor and the sick with Atma Bhava, sharing what you have with others and melting the mind in the Lord through silent meditation!

PRACTICAL SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS

Thou art divine. Live up to it. Feel and realise thy divine nature. Do not murmur when you get difficulties, troubles, tribulations and diseases. Every difficulty is an opportunity for you to develop your will and power of endurance and to grow strong. Conquer the difficulties one by one.
This is the beginning of a new life, a life of expansion, glory and divine splendour. Aspire and draw.
Grow. Expand. Build up all positive qualities, the Daiva-Sampatti, viz., fortitude, patience and courage, that are dormant in you. Tread the spiritual path and realise: ‘I am the Immortal Self."
Never weep even if you lose your near and dear relations. Births and deaths are the two illusory scenes in the marvellous drama of this world. They are all the jugglery of Maya. In reality nobody comes and nobody goes. Atman alone exists. Atman is Brahman or the Immortal Soul.
Be hopeful always. Face all difficulties, tribulations and anxieties in life with a smile.
Always repeat the formula “Even this will pass away.” You will then be always beyond grief and sorrow.
Pain is a blessing in disguise. Pain is an eye-opener. Pain is your silent teacher. Pain will turn your mind towards God. Many old Karmas have to be purged out quickly by the thirsting aspirant before he attains the blissful Samadhi (superconscious state). Therefore, the thirsting aspirant only will get more troubles. Become a spiritual warrior and chop off the thoughts and subtle forms of secret desires for enjoyment. A glorious brilliant future is awaiting you.
Conquer difficulties one by one. Stand adamant. Root yourself in the immortal Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman or Self within. Develop a magnanimous, serene, calm and poised mental state. Sing “Anandoham, Anandoham—I am all bliss. I am all bliss.”
To live is to fight for the ideal and goal. Life is conquest. Life is a series of awakenings.
Conquer yourmind and the senses. These are your real enemies. Live under lifelong vows. Conquer your internal and external nature. Fight against the antagonistic dark evil forces through Japa and meditation.
If you are firm in your resolves to reach the highest goal of Yoga, if you have firm determination to attain the aimof spiritual life, you will rise up again andmarch forward even if you have a temporary fall. Feel the divine within you. Open yourself fully to the divine influence.
Develop burning desire for the attainment of God-consciousness and burning dispassion (Vairagya) for worldly enjoyments. Abandon all worldly ambitions and mundane desires. Soar high always in the realms of higher spiritual knowledge. Show your manliness, moral courage and
spiritual strength now, O Ram!
Spiritual life is not mere idle talk. It is not mere sensation. It is actual living in Atman. It is a transcendental experience of unalloyed bliss.
May you all become immortal and drink deep the divine nectar of perennial joy and eternal bliss!

UPADESAMRITAM

In the name of Tapascharya (austerities) do not spoil your health. Constant repetition of “Vairagya Dindima” of Sri Sankara, with feeling, study of “Vairagya Sataka” of Bhartrihari and “Vairagya Prakarana” of Yoga-Vasishtha, reflection on the Slokas of Gita which treat of Vairagya, and finding out the defects in the sensual life will surely intensify your Vairagya.
Spiritual growth is gradual. There is progressive evolution. You should not be in a feverish hurry to accomplish great Yogic feats or enter into Nirvikalpa Samadhi (superconscious state) in two or three months. You will have to ascend the ladder of Yoga step by step. You will have to march in the spiritual path stage by stage.
This world is your best teacher. You will have yet to learn many lessons from this world.
The worldly duties are not ties when done in the spirit of Nishkama Karma Yoga (selfless service).
You are not required to renounce the world and take shelter in the Himalayan caves to claim back your lost divinity. The secret of renunciation is renunciation of egoism and desires. Live in the world but be not worldly-minded. He who, living in the midst of the temptations of this world, attains perfection, is a true hero indeed.
Guru’s grace is needed by the disciple. This does not mean that the disciple should sit idle and expect amiracle fromtheGuru to push himdirectly into Samadhi. TheGuru cannot do Sadhana or the spiritual practice for the student. He can guide the aspirant, clear his doubts, pave the way, remove snares, pitfalls and obstacles and throw light on the path. The disciple himself will have to place each footstep in the spiritual path. He will himself have to place his footstep in each rung of the ladder of Yoga.
Know things in their proper light. Do not be deluded. Emotion is mistaken for devotion; violent jumping in the air during Sankirtan for divine ecstasy; falling down in swoon on account of exhaustion from too much jumping for Bhava Samadhi; Rajasic restlessness and motion for divine activities and Karma Yoga; Tamasic man for Sattvic man; movement of air in the back due to rheumatism for ascent of Kundalini; Tandri and deep sleep for Samadhi; Manorajya or building castles in the air for meditation; physical nudity for the Jivanmukti state.
Understand the laws of the universe. Move tactfully in this world. Learn the secrets of Nature. Try to know the best ways to control the mind. Conquer the mind. Conquest of mind is really conquest of nature and the world. Conquest of mind will enable you to go to the source of Brahman and you can realise: “I am the all-pervading Sat-Chit-Ananda Atman or the Self”.
Learn to discriminate and become wise. Fight out the inner battle, again and again, and come out victorious, O Sushil!
May you all become dynamicYogins and radiate joy and peace to all corners of theworld!

Beauty of YOGA

MESSAGE OF BRAHMACHARYA

Brahmacharya is purity in thought, word and deed. Brahmacharya includes the control of not only the sex or reproductive Indriya but also other Indriyas. This is the definition of Brahmacharya in a broad sense. Brahmacharya is of two kinds viz., physical andmental. Physical is control of the body and mental is the control of evil thoughts. In mental Brahmacharya even a lustful thought will never enter the mind. Freedom from all sexual thoughts in waking as well as dreaming states is strict Brahmacharya.
The vital energy, the Veerya, which supports your life, is a great treasure for you. It is the quintessence of blood. Brahmacharya is truly a precious jewel. It is the most effective medicine or nectar which destroys diseases, decay and death. This Atma or immortal soul is verily the nature of Brahmacharya. Atma resides in Brahmacharya.
Veerya is the essence of life, thought, intelligence and consciousness. When the Veerya is once lost, it can never be recouped in your lifetime by your taking any amount of Badam, nervine tonics, milk, cream, Makaradhvaja, etc. This fluid, when preserved carefully, serves as a master-key for you to open the doors of elysian bliss or the realms of God or Atma and for all sorts of higher achievements in life. By Brahmacharya alone the Rishis of yore have conquered death and attained the immortal abode of joy and bliss.
You cannot have health and spiritual life without Brahmacharya. Brahmacharya is the key-note of success in every walk of life. Brahmacharya serves as a gateway for bliss beyond. It opens the door ofMoksha (emancipation). Siddhis and Riddhis (psychic powers) roll under the feet of a Brahmacharin. Who can describe the majesty and glory of a Brahmachari? Brahmacharya or spotless chastity is the best of panaceas. There is nothing in this world that cannot be attained by a celibate. He can move the whole world.
Sensuality destroys life, lustre, strength, vitality, memory, wealth, fame, holiness and devotion to the Supreme. Death is hastened by letting out vital energy from the body. Life is saved and prolonged by preserving it. Those who have lost much of their Veerya or the vital energy become easily irritable and lazy. They easily succumb to any disease. They meet with premature
death.
Have you realised, my dear friend, the importance and glory of Brahmacharya? Have you recognised the true significance of Brahmacharya? How can you expect to be strong and healthy if the precious energy that is acquired through various means with great difficulty is wasted daily?
What do we find in these days? Men, women, boys and girls are drowned in the ocean of impure thoughts, lustful desires and little sensual pleasures. It is highly deplorable indeed. Many college students have personally come to me and narrated their pitiable lives of gloom and depression brought about by heavy loss of semen through unnatural means. Persons are physically, mentally and morally debilitated because of the want of Brahmacharya or because of wasting the seminal power. Such persons become easily irritable for little things. They fall a victim to various diseases and premature death. I appeal to the parents, the teachers and the professors to instruct and guide their children in Brahmacharya at the proper time and save them. Through themthe country is saved. Youths are the future hope of the country. If they are inspired the whole nation is inspired and elevated.
It is quite possible for a man to practise celibacy albeit there are various sorts of temptations and distractions. A well-disciplined life, study of Scriptures, Satsanga, Japa, Dhyana, Sattvic diet, daily self-analysis, practice of sadachara, and the three kinds of Tapas and such other spiritual discipline, pave a long way in the attainment of this end.
The practice of celibacy is not attended with any danger or any disease or any undesirable result, such as the various sorts of ‘complex’ which are wrongly attributed by the Western psychologists to it. They have no practical knowledge of the subject on hand. They have got a wrong ill-founded imagination that the ungratified sex-energy assumes various forms of complexes in disguise, such as, touch-phobia, etc. It is a morbid state of mind due to excessive anger, hatred, jealousy, worry and depression brought about by various causes.
Householders who are moderate in their sexual enjoyment, who are free from animal passion, who are desirous of progeny to keep up the line only, are also Brahmacharins. This is also Brahmacharya Vrata. As soon as a son or daughter is born, the wife becomes his mother.
Do not look at obscene pictures. Do not speak vulgar words. Do not read novels that excite passion and produce ignoble, undesirable sentiments in the mind. Shun bad company. Do not go to Cinemas. Give up onions, garlic, hot curries, chutnies and spiced dishes. Take wholesome, bland Sattvic food. Transmute the sex-energy into spiritual energy (Ojas) by sublime thoughts, practice of Japa, Kirtan (singing God’s Name), Vichara or Atmic enquiry, Pranayama (restraint of breath),
Sirshasana, Sarvangasana, study of Gita, Upanishads and other religious books. Have Satsanga—association with Mahatmas, Yogins and Sadhus. You will be established in Brahmacharya. There will be sublimation of sex-energy.
Glory to Brahmacharya! Glory to Brahmacharins who are veritable gods on earth!May you all attain immortality by leading a life of Brahmacharya or ideal divine life while remaining in the world!!

LIVE WISELY

Minus skin, minus dress, minus ornaments, physical beauty is nothing. Just imagine for a moment that the outer skin is removed. You will have to stand with a long stick to drive away crows and vultures. Physical beauty is superficial, illusory and fading. It is skin-deep only. Do not be deluded by external appearances. It is the jugglery of Maya. Go to the source—Atman, the Beauty of beauties, the Everlasting beauty.
If your hairs become grey, that is the first warrant from Lord Yama, the God of Death. You must get yourself ready to meet him. The wrinkles on the face and the bending of the body will remind you of the warrant. When the teeth fall and the eyesight becomes dim, you must be fully prepared to greet him. You will get three hiccups or final passing of breaths lying on the bed.When the last hiccup comes, all your possession will be taken away by your sons and partners. One will run after the savings bank pass-book, another will take hold of the cash chest, the third, of your provident fund papers and insurance claims, the fourth, of the ornaments that lie on your person and so on. Such is life on this earth-plane. Why can’t you see that the money is well spent for your spiritual progress and the service of the poor and theMahatmas? Friends! Try to attain immortality through devotion, meditation, purity, service, Japa, prayer and enquiry. All troubles and miseries will come to an end.
O Nectar’s sons! Enough of this mundane life. Enough of this life of passion in this earth-plane. You have spent your whole life, energy and time in obtaining material wealth, power , name and fame. All your efforts have gone in vain. All your wealth is only a broken shell when compared with the inexhaustible or supreme wealth of Atman. Obtain this spiritual wealth. Give up this vain selfish struggle. You have walked too long with passionate eyes in this universe. Give up this lustful look. Meditate. Look within now and behold the marvellous Self and be free.
Atman or Brahman or Supreme Self is the hidden treasure. It is the pearl of incalculable value. It is the jewel of jewels. It is the gem of gems. It is the imperishable, inexhaustible, supreme wealth which no dacoit can rob. It is Chintamani of Chintamanis that will give man whatever he wishes.
Brahman is beyond speech, time and causation. It is limitless. It is tranquil and It shines with equal effulgence in all bodies. It cannot be a particular thing. It is Chaitanya or pure consciousness.
It is Vastu. It is Sat-Chit-Ananda.
Knowing the nature of Brahman or Atman as such, attain freedom or perfection. Think yourself bodiless. Identify yourself with the Supreme. Achieve peace and eternal bliss of your all-pervading soul.
May you all lead the divine life sharing what you have with others, singing the Lord’s name, rejoicing in Him alone and melting the mind in the Supreme Self!

MESSAGES OF VAIRAGYA

There is not even an iota of bliss in this world. Every thing is illusory in this universe. All worldly things are generative of pain only and fraught with all dangers. This life is ephemeral. There is nothing so baneful as this life which is perishable in its nature. What beauty is there to be enjoyed in this body which is composed of blood and flesh and which has a tendency to rot? Even the most virulent poison is no poison but the sensual object is truly so. The former kills only one body, whereas, the latter destroys many bodies in successive births.
Fie on this uneven life which is attended with pains, sorrows, diseases and death. You cannot find one object in this universe which is sweet and beneficial for one twinkling of the eye at least. Even the greatest of persons will, in course of time, become dust—the lowest of the low.
Emperors, poets, scientists, orators and intellectual giants have come and gone.
It is very difficult to get a human birth. This precious life is meant for attaining Self-realisation. Ignorant persons, like innocent children that do taste again and again sweetmeats which give sweetness for the time being, indulge themselves in illusory, transient, sensual pleasures and are caught, again and again, in the wheel of births and deaths. They are not ashamed to repeat the same sensual act. What a miserable life they lead! How pitiable is their lot. !
You are elated when you get a son, when you get married, when you get some sudden fortune or increase in salary; but you feel sorry when your wife dies, when you lose your money, when you are thrown out of employment, when you suffer from some acute pain.
Nowtellme, friend,what do you really find in this illusoryworld—happiness or pain?Have you now understood the illusory nature of this world? This world is a mere show. The mind and the senses are deceiving you at every moment. You have mistaken pain for pleasure. There is not even an iota of happiness in this universe.
Will your son, or daughter, or friend, or relative,help you when you are about to die? Have you got one, sincere, unselfish friend in this world? All are selfish. There is no pure love. But that Lord, your real immortal friend and father who dwells in your heart, will never forsake you though you may forget Him. Adore Him in silence, that God of gods, that Divinity of divinities, Highest of the most high. May He bless you with His love, wisdom, power and peace!
By indiscriminate clinging towife, children, house,wealth and property, you have forgotten all about your essential divine nature. In youth you are enveloped in ignorance; in adult age you are entangled in themeshes of women; in old age you are groaning under the burden of Samsara.When you will find time, friend, to do virtuous actions and worship God?
Sensual pleasure is momentary, deceptive, illusory and imaginary. A grain of pleasure is mixed with a mountain of pain. Enjoyment cannot bring satisfaction of desires. On the contrary, it makes the mind more restless through intense craving. Sensual pleasure is the cause of births and deaths. It is an enemy of peace and knowledge.
Abandon these selfish struggles and schemes for amassing wealth. Do all actions with Nishkama Bhava. March directly to that wire-puller (God), who is moving these toys of fleshy human bodies, who is keeping up this big show, who is behind this pageant. In Him only you will find everlasting happiness and perennial joy. Merge in Him by practising daily Japa and Meditation.
Give up clinging to this illusory life. Take refuge in God. Develop lasting, sustained dispassion (Vairagya) or indifference to sensual enjoyments herein and hereafter. You have had countless fathers, mothers, wives and children in the past. You came alone. You will go alone. No onewill followyou save your own actions.WorshipGod. RealiseHim.Allmiserieswill come to an end.
O Ram! Do you not wish to attain the illimitable kingdomof eternal bliss and perennial joy?
Do you not long to attain everlasting peace and immortality? Do you not desire to dwell in that Asweet abode of Brahman where there is neither pain nor sorrow, neither hunger nor thirst, neither fear nor grief, neither doubt nor delusion?
Then come, my beloved Ram! Develop, real, lasting Vairagya (dispassion or mental non-attachment) by looking into the defects of sensual life (Dosha Drishti) and through association with Sages, Sadhus and Sannyasins (Satsanga). Serve. Love. Give. Be kind. Be good. Do good. Practise vigorous Japa and meditation and attain God-consciousness or Self-realisation (Brahma jnana) in this very birth.
May you all possess that master-key, Vairagya to open the realms of Brahmic bliss!
May you all attain Kaivalya or Atma-Svarajya or independence! May you all dwell in the immaculate Brahmic seat of ineffable splendour and glory!

RESOLVES

The spiritual path is thorny, precipitous and rugged. Temptations will assail you. Your will, sometimes, will become weak. Sometimes, there will be downfall or a backward pull by the dark Asuric antagonistic forces. In order to strengthen yourwill and resist the unfavourable currents, you will have to make, again and again, fresh resolves. This will help you to ascend the ladder of Yoga, vigorously and quickly. Here are some resolves. Stick to them tenaciously. Watch the mind
carefully and keep a daily spiritual record.

1. I must get up at 4 a.m. today for practisingmeditation. (Iwill have an alarmtime-piece).
2. I will certainly observe Brahmacharya for a month.
3. I will, at any cost, speak the truth today.
4. I will not speak harsh or vulgar words today.
5. I will do 21,600 (200 Mala) Japa this Sunday.
6. I will observe complete Mouna this Sunday.
7. I will live on milk and fruits this Ekadasi.
8. I will finish the study of the whole of Gita on this Sunday (Svadhyaya) and writemy Ishta Mantra or Guru Mantra for 2 hours.
9. I will spend one-tenth of my income on charity this month.
10. I will take only three things today—dhall and bread in the noon and milk at night.
11. I will not use shoes and bed-stead today.
12. I will not become angry today.

I will live up night meals and do 10 Malas of Japa if I break any of my resolves.
When you make these resolves, stand before the Lord’s picture with folded hands and pray devoutly for His grace and mercy. You will doubtless get immense strength to carry out these resolves.
Even if you fail in your attempt, do not be discouraged. Every failure is a stepping-stone for success. Make a fresh resolve again with more firm and fiery determination. You are bound to succeed. Conquest over one weakness will give you additional strength and will-force to get over another weakness or defect. The baby tries to walk, gets up and falls down. Again it makes another attempt. Eventually it walks steadily. Even so, you will have to fall down and get up, again and again, when you walk in the spiritual path. In the long run, you will steadily climb up to the summit of the hill of Yoga and reach the pinnacle of Nirvikalpa Samadhi.
May the Lord give you strength of will to carry out your resolves!

TWENTY SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get up at 4 a.m. daily. This is Brahma Muhurta which is extremely favourable for meditation on God.
2. ASANA: Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana for Japa andMeditation for half an hour, facing the east or the north. Increase the period gradually to three hours. Do Sirshasana and Sarvangasana for keeping up Brahmacharya and health. Take light physical exercises as walking,etc., regularly. Do twenty Pranayamas.
3. JAPA: Repeat anyMantra as pure Omor OmNamo Narayanaya, OmNamah Sivaya, OmNamo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Saravanabhavaya Namah, Sita Ram, Sri Ram, Hari Om, or Gayatri, according to your taste or inclination, from 108 to 21,600 times daily.
4. DIETETIC DISCIPLINE: Take Sattvic food, Suddha Ahara. Give up chillies, tamarind,garlic, onion, sour articles, oil, mustard and asafoetida. Observe moderation in diet (Mitahara). Do not overload the stomach. Give up those things which the mind likes best for a fortnight in a year. Eat simple food. Milk and fruits help concentration. Take food as medicine, to keep life going. Eating for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar for a month. You must be able to live on rice, dhall and bread without any chutni. Do not ask for extra salt for dhall and sugar for tea, coffee, or milk.
5. Have a separate meditation-room under lock and key.
6. Do charity regularly, every month, or even daily, according to your means, say six paisa per rupee.
7. SVADHYAYA: Study systematically the Gita, Ramayana, Bhagavata, Vishnu-Sahasranama, Lalita Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, Upanishads, Yoga-Vasishtha, the Bible, Zend Avesta, the Koran, the Tripitakas, the Granth Sahib, etc., from half an hour to one hour daily and have Suddha-Vichara.
8. Preserve the vital force (Veerya) very very carefully. Veerya is God in motion ormanifestation, Vibhuti. Veerya is all power. Veerya ismoney. Veerya is the essence of life, thought and intelligence.
9. Get by heart some prayer, Slokas, Stotras, and repeat themas soon as you sit on the Asanabefore starting Japa or meditation. This will elevate the mind quickly.
10. Have Satsanga. Give up bad company, smoking,meat and alcoholic liquors entirely. Do not develop any evil habits.
11. Fast on Ekadasi day or live on milk and fruits only.
12. Have a JapaMala (rosary) round your neck or in your pocket or underneath your pillow at night.
13. Observe Mouna for a couple of hours daily.
14. Speak the truth at all cost. Speak a little. Speak sweetly.
15. Reduce your wants. If you have four shirts reduce the number to three or two. Lead a happy contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Have plain living and high thinking.
16. Never hurt anybody. Control anger by love, Kshama (forgiveness) and Daya (compassion).
17. Do not depend upon servants. Self-reliance is the highest of all virtues.
18. Think of the mistakes you have committed during the course of the day, just before retiring to bed (self-analysis). Keep daily diary and self-correction register. Do not brood over past mistakes.
19. Remember that death is awaiting you every moment. Never fail to fulfil your duties. Have pure conduct (Sadachara).
20. Think of God as soon as you wake up and just before you go to sleep. Surrender yourselfcompletely to God (Saranagati).

This is the essence of all spiritual Sadhanas. This will lead you to Moksha. All these Niyamas or spiritual canons must be rigidly observed. You must not give leniency to the mind.

SIDDHIS

A powerful occultist hypnotises the whole audience collectively through his power of concentration and will, and performs the rope-trick. He throws a red rope in the air, gives the suggestion to the onlookers that he will climb in the air through this rope and disappears from the platform, in the twinkling of an eye. But, when a photograph is taken, nothing is recorded.
Yogins of olden times, like Sri Jnana Deva, Bhartrihari, Patanjali Maharshi, used to send and receive messages to and from distant persons through mind-telepathy and thought-transference. Telepathy was the first wireless telegraph and telephone service in the world.
Even now there are Yogins who are versed in telepathy. Thought travels with tremendous velocity through space. Thought moves. Thought is as much a solid matter as a piece of stone is. It can hit a man against whom it is directed.
Understand and realise the powers of the mind. Unfold the hidden powers or occult faculties. Close the eyes. Concentrate. Explore the higher regions of the mind. You can see distant objects, hear distant voices, send messages to distant parts, heal persons who are at a distance, and move about to a distant place in the twinkling of an eye. Believe in the powers of the mind. If you have interest, attention, will-power, faith you are bound to succeed. The source for the mind is Atman or the Higher Self. Thismind is born of Atman through HisMaya or illusory power. Cosmic
mind is universal mind. Cosmic mind is the sum total of all individual minds. Cosmic mind is the Hiranyagarbha or Ishvara or Karya-Brahman.Man’s mind is just a fragment of the universal mind.
A Raja Yogi becomes one with the cosmic mind and knows the workings of all minds. The Yogi gets omniscience through the cosmic mind. The Yogi experiences cosmic consciousness through the cosmic mind. Tap the universalmind. You will get higher supersensuous knowledge. You will experience cosmic consciousness. You will get knowledge of the past, present and future. You will acquire knowledge of the Tanmatras (root elements) and mental plane. You will experience clairvoyance and clairaudience. You can know what is going on in the minds of others. You will get Divine Aisvarya or Vibhutis of God. There are scientific means to tap this universal mind. Purity, concentration, dispassion, right living, right thinking, right conduct, right action, devotion,moderation in eating and sleeping, purity in food, truthfulness, continence, non-injury, austerities have to be regularly practised for a protracted time.
Look at the marvels of mind! One is struck with awe and wonder when he witnesses a hypnotised person in trance and hears his narratives. The hypnotised person narrates very lucidly the life-history and incidents of a person whom he has not seen in his life.
A maid servant (a Jew) who was attending on a Hebrew Priest used to hear the Hebrew verses during her service. She suddenly developed a double-personality when she was sick in the hospital and repeated Hebrew verses. She did not know the Hebrew language. All the Samskaras (of hearing from the priest) were in the subconscious mind, and she repeated the verses. No Samskaras are lost. They are indelibly recorded in the gramophonic machine of Chitta.
A priest used to forget his old personality and assume a new personality, a new name, a new avocation for six months. When he developed a double-personality he could leave his old house, entirely forget all about his old life and would return to his native place after six months and would entirely forget all about the second personality he assumed for six months.