YOGIC meditation DISCIPLINE 2019 (www.webpressnet.com)

[caption id="attachment_1077" align="alignnone" width="300"] YOGIC meditation DISCIPLINE 2019 (www.webpressnet.com)[/caption]

 

PRACTICAL LESSONS
IN
YOGA
By
SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA

YOGIC meditation DISCIPLINE 2019 (www.webpressnet.com) Yoga is rooted in virtue. Ethical discipline is very necessary for success in Yoga. Ethical discipline is the practice of right conduct in life. The two moral back-bones of Yoga are Yama and
Niyama, which the aspirant must practice in his daily life. These correspond roughly to the ten
commandments of Lord Jesus or to the noble eightfold path of Lord Buddha. Non-injuring
(Ahimsa), truthfulness (Satyam), non-stealing (Asteya), continence (Brahmacharya) and
non-covetousness (Aparigraha) are the component parts of Yama. Internal and external purification
(Saucha), contentment (Santosha), austerity (Tapas), study of religious and philosophical books
(Svadhyaya) and self-surrender to the Lord (Isvara-Pranidhana) come under Niyama. Practice of
Yama and Niyama will eradicate all the impurities of the mind. In fact, Yama and Niyama form the
corner-stones of Yoga philosophy.
Pre-eminence is given to abstention from injuring any living creature (Ahimsa) amongst all
other virtues. There must be non-injuring in thought, word and deed. Non-injuring is placed first
because it is the source of the following nine. The practice of universal love or brotherhood is
nothing but the practice of non-injuring. He who practices non-injuring will get quick success in
Yoga. The practitioner must abandon even harsh words and unkind looks. He must show goodwill
and friendliness to one and all. He must respect life. He must remember that one common Self
dwells in the hearts of all beings.
Truthfulness (Satyam) comes next in order. Thought must agree with word, and word with
action. This is truthfulness. These virtues are attainable only by the unselfish. Truth can hardly arise
unless there is pure motive behind all actions. The word of the Yogi must be a blessing to others.
Then comes non-stealing (Asteya). You must be satisfied with what you get by honest
means. The Law of Karma is inexorable. You will have to suffer for every wrong action of yours.
Action and reaction are equal and opposite. Amassing wealth is really theft. The whole wealth of all
the three worlds belongs to the Lord. You are only a caretaker of his wealth. You must willingly
share what you have with all and spend it in charity.
The fourth virtue is the practice of celibacy. That portion of human energy which is
expressed in sexual union when controlled, becomes transmuted into a form of special spiritual
energy called Ojas-Sakti and this is stored up in the brain. If you practice Yoga and at the same time
lead an impure, voluptuous and immoderate life, how can you expect progress in Yoga? All great
spiritual giants of the world have practiced celibacy and that is the reason why they were able to
thrill and electrify the whole world through the power of the special spiritual energy they had stored
up in their brains. A Yogi with an abundance of this energy keeps his audience spell-bound, as it
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PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA
6 A lecture delivered in the Hallett Hall, Gaya, by Swami Sivananda Sarasvati on March 3, 1937.
were, and sways them even as a monarch sways his dominions. There is a peculiar charm in his
smile and power in the words emanating from his heart. He produces a very profound impression in
the minds of all with whom he comes in contact.
Householders are allowed to visit their wives once in a month at the proper time, without the
idea of sexual enjoyment, but just for the sake of preservation of progeny. If this rule is observed,
then it tantamounts to the practice of celibacy. Such observers of this rule are also Brahmacharins.
As soon as a son is born, the wife becomes the mother, because the father himself is born in the form
of the son. A son is nothing but the modified energy of the father.
Brahmacharya is the basis of acquiring immortality. Brahmacharya brings material
progress and psychic advancement. Brahmacharya is the substratum for a life in the Atman. It is a
potent weapon for waging a relentless war against the internal monsters—passion, greed, anger,
miserliness, hypocrisy, etc. It contributes to perennial joy and uninterrupted, undecaying bliss. It
gives tremendous energy, clear brain, gigantic will-power, bold understanding, retentive memory
and good power of enquiry (Vichara-Sakti). It is through Brahmacharya and Brahmacharya alone
that you can have physical, mental, moral and spiritual advancement.
What is wanted is restraint and not suppression of sexual desire. In restraint no sexual
thought will arise in the mind. There is perfect sublimation of sex-energy. But in suppression the
aspirant is not safe. There are sexual thoughts. When favourable opportunities occur, the repressed
desire manifests with redoubled force and vengeance, and there is the danger of a miserable
downfall. One should be very careful.
After Dhanvantari had taught all the secrets of the Ayurveda system of medicine to his
disciples, they enquired the key-note of this science. The master replied: “I tell you that
Brahmacharya is truly a precious jewel; it is the one most effective medicine, nectar indeed, which
destroys disease, decay and death. For attaining peace, brightness, memory, knowledge, health and
Self-realisation, one should observe Brahmacharya which is the highest duty. Brahmacharya is the
highest knowledge; Brahmacharya is the greatest strength. Of the nature of Brahmacharya is verily
this Atman, and in Brahmacharya It resides. Saluting Brahmacharya first, the cases beyond cure I
cure. Aye, Brahmacharya can undo all the inauspicious signs.”
What is wanted is deep inner life. Silence the bubbling thoughts. Keep the mind cool and
calm. Open yourself to higher spiritual consciousness. Feel the Divine Presence and Divine
Guidance. Fix your mind at the Lotus-Feet of the Lord. Become like a child. Speak to Him freely.
Become absolutely candid. Do not hide your thoughts. You cannot do so, because He is the Inner
Ruler (Antaryamin). He watches all your thoughts. Pray for Mercy, Light, Purity, Strength, Peace
and Knowledge. You will surely get them. You will be established in Brahmacharya.
A Yogic student should abstain from greed. He should not receive luxurious presents from
anybody. Gifts affect the mind of the receiver. These five virtues must be practiced in thought, word
and deed, for they are not merely restraints but change the character of the practitioner, implying
inward purity and strength.
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YOGIC DISCIPLINE
Besides these, the would-be Yogi should also practice certain other active virtues such as
cleanliness of body and mind, contentment, austerity, study of religious and philosophical books
and self-surrender to God. Contentment does not mean satisfaction, but willingness to accept things
as they are and to make the best of them. Austerities like occasional fasting and observance of
silence increase the power of endurance. Self-surrender is the regarding of every work as that of the
Supreme Lord and renouncing all claims to its fruits. Study of religious books fills the mind with
piety and purity. Such a rigorous ethical discipline brings a sense of freedom and moral elevation.
When you are sufficiently advanced in the above practices, you can face every temptation by
calling in the aid of pure and restraining thoughts.
Two things are necessary for attaining success in mind-control, viz., practice (Abhyasa) and
dispassion (Vairagya).
You must try your extremest level best to be free from any desire for any pleasure, seen or
unseen, and this dispassion can be attained through constant perception of evil in them. Dispassion
is renunciation of attainment. It is aversion to sensual enjoyments herein and hereafter. The
dispassion or detachment is of two kinds, the lower and the higher. Vijnana Bhikshu distinguishes
the superior and the inferior types of Vairagya in the following way: “The former is a distaste for the
good things of life, here or hereafter, due to the experience that they cannot be acquired or preserved
without trouble while their loss causes pain and that the quest is never free from egoistic feelings.
The latter, however, is based on a clear perception of the difference between intelligence and the
objects that appear in its light.”
There are various stages in dispassion. The determination to refrain from enjoying all sorts
of sensual objects is the first stage. In the second stage certain objects lose their charm for the
spiritual aspirant and he attempts to destroy the attraction for others also. In the third stage the
senses are controlled, but a vague longing for the sensual enjoyment remains in the mind. In the
fourth the aspirant loses completely all interest whatsoever in the external objects. The final stage is
a state of highest desirelessness. It is this kind of dispassion that bestows Absolute Independence on
the Yogi. In this stage the Yogi renounces all kinds of psychic powers even such as Omniscience,
etc.
It is by practice and dispassion that the passage of thought towards external objects can be
checked. Mere indifference will not serve the purpose. Practice is also necessary. Remembering
God always is also practice. Lord Krishna says to Arjuna with reference to this practice of
controlling the mind: “Abandoning without reserve all desires born of the imagination by the mind,
curbing in the aggregate of the senses on every side, little by little let him gain tranquillity by means
of Reason controlled by steadiness; having made the mind abide in the Self, let him not think of
anything. As often as the wavering and unsteady mind goeth forth, so often reining it in, let him
bring it under control of the Self.” (Bhagavad-Gita: VI-21, 25, 26).
Sound and other objects make the mind wander away. Mind is drawn towards external
objects by the force of desire. By convincing oneself of the illusoriness of sense-objects through an
investigation into their nature and by cultivating indifference to worldly objects, the mind can be
restrained and brought back to the Self to abide finally. In virtue of this practice of Yoga, the Yogi’s
mind attains peace in the Self. Practice consists in constantly repeating the same idea or thought
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PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA
regarding any object. By constant reflection and exercise of will-power, suggestions should be
given to the sub-conscious mind not to look for enjoyment in the changing world without, but in the
changeless within. You should exercise great vigilance to get hold of opportunities, when the mind
dwells on sense-objects, and suggests to it new meanings and interpretations and make it change its
attitude towards them with a view to its ultimate withdrawal therefrom. This is called practice.
The chief characteristic of the mind in the waking state is to have some object before it to
dwell upon. It can never remain blank. It can concentrate on one object at a time. It constantly
changes its objects and so it is restless. It is impetuous, strong and difficult to bend. It is as hard to
curb it as the wind. That is the reason why Patanjali Maharshi says that the practice must be steady
and continuous and it must stretch over a considerable period and be undertaken with a perfect faith
in its regenerating and uplifting powers. You must not show any slackening symptoms at any stage
of practice.
Restraint does not come in a day, but by long and continued practice with zeal and
enthusiasm. The progress in Yoga can only be gradual. Many people give up the practice of
concentration after some time, when they do not see any tangible prospect of getting psychic
powers. They become impatient. They do little and expect much. This is bad. Doing any kind of
practice by fits and starts will not bring the desired fruit. Direct experience is the goal of life.
Though the effort or practice is painful in the beginning, yet it brings Supreme Joy in the end. Lord
Krishna says to Arjuna: “Supreme joy is for this Yogi, whose mind is peaceful, whose passionate
nature is controlled, who is sinless, and of the nature of the eternal.” (Bhagavad-Gita: Ch. VI-27).
Control your senses. Calm your mind. Still the bubbling thoughts. Fix the mind in the lotus
of the heart. Concentrate. Meditate. Realise Him intuitively this very second and enjoy the Bliss of
the Self.
Have firm and unshakable faith in the existence of God, the supreme, undying, intelligent
Principle or Essence or Substance who exists in the three periods of time—past, present and future.
He has neither beginning, middle nor end. He is Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence Absolute, Knowledge
Absolute and Bliss Absolute).
O ignorant man! Why do you vainly search for happiness in the perishable external objects
of the world conditioned in time, space and causation? You have no peace of mind. Your desires are
never fully gratified. You may amass boundless wealth, beget beautiful babies, earn titles, honours,
name, fame, power, publicity and all you want, and yet your mind is restless. You have no real,
abiding happiness. You feel you still want something. You have no feeling of fullness. Never,
therefore, forget from this moment onwards that this feeling of fullness or eternal satisfaction can
be obtained only in God by realising Him through constant practice of self-control, purity,
concentration, meditation and practice of Yoga.
There is restlessness everywhere. Selfishness, greed, jealousy and lust are playing
unimaginable havoc in every heart. Fights, skirmishes and petty quarrels are polluting the
atmosphere of the world and creating discord, disharmony and unrest. The bugle is blown and the
armies march to the battlefield to destroy their enemies. One nation wages war against another
nation for acquiring more dominions and power. Side by side with these bloody wars, peace
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YOGIC DISCIPLINE
movement is also working for bringing harmony and peace, for eradicating dire ignorance, the root
cause of all human sufferings and for disseminating Divine Knowledge.
The greatest need of the world today is the message of love. Kindle the light of love in your
own heart first. Love all. Include all creatures in the warm embrace of your love. Nations can be
united by pure love only. World-wars can be put an end to by pure love only. The League of Nations
cannot do much. Love is a mysterious divine glue that unites the hearts of all. It is a magical healing
balm of very high potency. Charge every action with pure love. Kill cunningness, greed,
crookedness and selfishness. It is extremely cruel to take away the lives of others by using
poisonous gas. This is a capital crime. The scientist who manufactures the gas in the laboratory
cannot escape without being punished for this crime by the great Lord. Forget not the Day of
Judgement. What will you say unto the Lord, O ye mortals, who run after power, dominions and
wealth? Have a clean conscience and pure love. You will verily enter into the Kingdom of God.
How mysterious is the universe! How mysterious are the silent workings of the unseen
Power, who prompts passionate people to wage wars on the one side and pious people to
disseminate Divine Knowledge on the other and bring peace and happiness to the suffering
humanity at large!
Desire is the real enemy of peace. Restlessness is fed by desire just as fire is fed by oil. In the
Yoga-Vasishtha you will find Sage Vasishtha saying to his royal disciple Rama: “O best of
intellects! the obliteration of latent desire, Gnosis and the dissolution of the mind, if attempted
simultaneously for a sufficient length of time, bestow the desired fruit.” Lord Krishna also says to
his royal disciple Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra: “It is desire, it is wrath, begotten by the
quality of mobility; all-consuming, all-polluting, know thou this as our foe here on earth. As a flame
is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as an embryo by the amnion, so is wisdom enveloped by
it. Enveloped is wisdom by this constant enemy the wise in the form of desire which is insatiable as
a flame. Mastering first the senses, slay thou, O mighty armed, the enemy in the form of desire,
destructive of wisdom and knowledge.”
Swami Vidyaranya Sarasvati, the reputed author of “Panchadasi” and “Jivanmukti-Viveka”
says: “So long as these three (obliteration of latent desire, Gnosis and the dissolution of the mind)
are not well attempted repeatedly, the state of Jivanmukti (liberation in this life) cannot be realised,
even after the lapse of hundreds of years.” When the mind is dissolved and there is no sensation of
any external cause which can fully rouse mental impressions, latent desire fades away. When latent
desire fades away, and there remains no cause for that functioning of the mind which we call lust,
anger, etc., the mind is also dissolved. When the mind is annihilated, Gnosis will arise.
The Hindu Scriptures maintain: “Mind alone is, to man, the cause of bondage or liberation;
lost in enjoyment, it leads to bondage; freed from the objective, it leads to liberation. As mind freed
from the objective leads to liberation, one desirous of liberation or success in the path of Yoga must
always try to wipe off the objective from the plane of his mind. When the mind severed from all
connections with sensual objects and confined to the light of the heart, finds itself in Ecstasy, it is
said to have reached its culminating point. The mind should be prevented from functioning, till its
dissolution is attained in the heart; this is Gnosis; this is concentration; the rest is all mere
logomachy.”
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PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA
Desire may be described as the hankering for things, which gains such mastery over the
mind as to preclude even enquiring into their antecedents and consequences. Man at once becomes
that which he identifies himself with, by force of strong and deep attachment and loses memory of
everything else in the act. The man, thus subdued by desire, fixing his eye on everything and
anything, is deluded into believing it as the real thing. Due to loss of control man perceives
everything with beclouded eyes in this deluded fashion, like one under the influence of a strong
intoxicant.
As you think, so you become. Think you are a High Court judge, High Court judge you will
become. Think you are the monarch of the whole world, monarch of the whole world you will
become. Think you are a great teacher, teacher you will become. Think you are poor and weak, poor
and weak you will become. Think you are a multi-millionaire, multi-millionaire you will become.
Think you are a Yogi, Yogi you will become. Think you are a saint of spotless character, saint of
spotless character you will become. Think you are God or Atman or Brahman, God or Atman or
Brahman you will become. The whole universe is governed by this wonderful Law of Nature.
Always think rightly and act rightly. Never try to seize the possessions of others. Never
envy your neighbours. Entertain noble and sublime thoughts. Have supreme self-confidence and
courage. Whatever you do, do it with a will to succeed. You will, by all means, succeed in all your
endeavours. Success is yours. You will know of no failures. This is the Sovereign secret. Meditate
upon this Secret daily in the morning for some time and enjoy the Bliss of the Self.
In the Vishnupurana you will find: “If the deluded fool loves the body, a mere collection of
flesh, blood, pus, faeces, urine, muscles, fat and bones, he will verily love hell itself! To him who is
not disgusted with the nasty smell from his own body, what other argument need be adduced for
detachment?”
It is a well-known fact that enjoyment cannot bring you satisfaction of desire. On the
contrary, it aggravates desire and makes man more restless. The root-cause of all human sufferings
and miseries is the craving for worldly enjoyments. The more you hanker after these sensual
enjoyments, the more unhappy do you become. The desires also grow when they are not fulfilled.
You can never be happy as long as the craving for enjoyments exists.
Desire is born of ignorance (Avidya). Attachment, longing and preference are the
constituents of desire. Do not endeavour to fulfil desires. Try to reduce your desires, as best as you
can. Withdraw the fuel of gratification. Then the fire of desire will get extinguished by itself. Just as
a gheeless lamp dies out, when the ghee is withdrawn, even so the fire of desire will die when the
fuel of gratification is withdrawn. If attachment is eradicated, then longing and preference for
objects will die by themselves.
Man commits various kinds of sins and injures others when he exerts to get the desired
objects. He has to reap the fruits of his actions; hence he is brought again and again in his round of
births and deaths. If you increase one object in the list of your possessions or wants, the desire also
increases ten times. The more worldly objects you possess, the more distant you are from God.
Your mind will always be thinking and planning as to how to get and guard the objects, how to earn
tons of money and keep them safe. If the acquired objects are lost, your mind is completely upset.
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YOGIC DISCIPLINE
Cares, worries, anxieties and all sorts of mental torments increase with the objects. No doubt, it is
painful to earn money. It is more painful to keep the money that is earned. It is still more painful, if
the money gets reduced. And it is extremely painful, if the whole money is lost. Money is the abode
of all sorts of pain. That is the reason why in India a Sadhu or a Sannyasin does not possess
anything. In his grand vision, he does not possess his body also. He constantly asserts. “The body is
not mine; I am not body.” A real Sannyasin is one who feels: “I am bodiless.” These Sannyasins
lead a life of perfect dispassion and ruthless renunciation. Renunciation brings in its train supreme
Peace.
It is very difficult to become absolutely desireless. A liberated sage or a full-blown Yogi
alone is entirely free from the taint of desires, for he has completely annihilated his mind and is
enjoying the supreme Bliss of the Self within. How can desires arise in him who is plunged in the
ocean of Divine Bliss?
A neophyte in the spiritual path should entertain noble desires. He should do virtuous
actions. He should develop intense longing for liberation. In order to achieve this end, he should
study the Holy Scriptures regularly and systematically. He should betake himself to the company of
the wise. He should practice right conduct, right thinking, right speaking and right acting. He
should practice regular meditation. By and by all old vicious desires and sensual cravings and evil
propensities will vanish. Hey Saumya! Lead a life of perfect contentment. Contentment is the bliss
of life. The cold ambrosial waters of contentment will quickly extinguish the fire of desires.
Contentment is the chief sentinel who keeps watch over the domain of Peace or the Kingdom of
God.
The old subdued desires recur, persist and resist. They assert: “O ungrateful man! You gave
me shelter in your mind all along. You enjoyed various objects of the world through me only. If
there is no desire for food and drink, how can you enjoy food and drink? If there is no desire for
sexual union, how can you enjoy a woman? Why are you so cruel towards me now? I have every
right to dwell in this abode of your mind. Do whatever you like.” But you should not be discouraged
even a bit by these threats. All desires will be thinned out gradually by meditation and Yoga. They
will eventually perish in toto beyond resurrection.
A strong mind has influence over a weak mind. Mind has influence over the physical body.
Mind acts upon matter. Mind brings bondage. Mind gives you liberation. Mind is the devil. Mind is
your best friend. Mind is your Guru (Spiritual Preceptor). You will have to tame your mind. You
will have to discipline your mind. You will have to control your mind. This is all you have to do.
Study your feelings and emotions. Analyse them. Dissect them. Do not identify yourself
with these feelings and emotions. Separate yourself from these feelings and emotions. Stand as a
silent witness. Identification with these feelings and emotions is the cause of bondage and misery.
Anger is a modification of desire in the mind. There is no modification in the Self the real
“I” or Atman. A worldly man identities himself with anger and so he becomes miserable. This is
ignorance only. The body and the mind are your instruments for growth and evolution. Identify
yourself with the big, infinite “I” by utilising these two instruments and become a master of your
mind and body. You are the driver of this engine—body and mind. Assert your birthright and
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PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA
become free, my child. Understand the trick of this mischievous mind. It has played with you long
enough. Attain complete mastery over it. You can do this easily by the practice of Yoga.
Watch and chop and clip the thoughts as soon as they arise from the mind. Kill them dead on
the spot. If you find it difficult to do this, become indifferent Do not mind them. Allow them to take
their own shape. They will soon die by themselves. Or, sometimes you can chop the thoughts and
when you get tired of doing so, you can adopt the method of remaining indifferent. The latter
method is more easy. If you tie a monkey to a post, it becomes more turbulent; if you allow it to
move about at its own will and pleasure, it is not so very turbulent. Even so, when you try to fix the
mind at a point, it becomes more turbulent. Therefore various kinds of evil thoughts enter into the
minds of neophytes at the time of concentration. But they need not be unnecessarily alarmed. If you
find it difficult to focus the mind at one point, allow it to jump a while like a monkey. Do not wrestle
with the mind. It will soon get exhausted and will then be waiting to obey your behests. Now you
can tackle it easily.
Free yourself from the tyranny of the mind. It has tormented you mercilessly for so long a
time. You have allowed it to indulge in sensual pleasures and have its own ways. Now is the time to
curb it just as you would curb a wild horse. Be patient and persevering. Practise daily
thoughtlessness or inhibition of thoughts. The task may be difficult in the beginning. It will be
indeed disgusting and tiring, but the reward is great. You will reap Immortality, Supreme Joy,
Eternal Peace and Infinite Bliss. Therefore practice diligently in right earnest. It is worth doing. Be
on the alert. If you are sincere in your wish and strong in your resolve, nothing is impossible under
the sun to accomplish. Nothing can stand in your way. If you fail in your attempt, do not be
discouraged. Remember the thrilling story of the dreadful fight between Hercules and the
prodigious giant. In the course of his journey in quest of adventures, Hercules encountered a
monster, who was so wonderfully contrived by nature that every time he touched the earth, he
became ten times as strong as before. By remembering this incident you will get inner strength and
courage. You are bound to succeed.
Realise that you are neither body nor mind, that you were never born nor will you ever die,
that you are invincible, that nothing in this world can hurt you, that you are the Sun around whom
the whole universe revolves. The whole knowledge is treasured up within the chambers of your
heart. Procure the key and unlock the doors of Knowledge. Yoga is the Key. You will attain
unruffled peace, marvellous self-control and tremendous will-power.
Behold! There on the banks of the holy Ganga at Rishikesh, Himalayas, a Sage, a
Paramahamsa Sannyasin of eighty summers, with lustrous eyes, serene face, magnetic personality,
bright complexion sits with a loin-cloth only. There is a small grass-hut beside him underneath a
tree. Inside the hut you will find a small wooden bowl (Kamandalu) for keeping water and an
ordinary stick. This is all his personal effect. He is always sitting there in a contemplative mood. He
never talks, nor laughs, but occasionally nods his roundshapely head and smiles gently. He never
stirs from the place. He is unaffected by the heat of the summer sun or the biting cold of the winter.
He never uses blankets, no, not even in winter. What a wonderful power of endurance! He lives on
some milk and fruits only. His heart is filled with purity, mercy, compassion, sympathy and love!
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People from various parts of the country flock to him in hundreds and thousands in season
and out of season with flowers and fruits in their hands, prostrate at his Holy Feet, worship him with
their offerings and leave the place with his ready blessings. He never talks, but all doubts are cleared
in his mere presence. People forget the world, their families, their children. They bathe in his
magnetic aura. Such is the benign influence of a liberated sage who is verily a beacon-light to the
world at large.
Now here is a man living in the busiest part of a metropolis. He earns a fat salary. He spends
half of his earnings in gambling and in drinking. The other half goes to cinema and prostitutes. He
eats fish, meat and smokes heavily. He runs into debts every month and finds it hard to make both
ends meet. He dislikes sages and saints. He has no faith in God or in scriptures. He is very
cruel-hearted. He attends ballrooms and theatres, goes to bed at 2 a.m. and gets up at 9 a.m. He
wears a care-worn face even though he appears in costly silken finery. He is always gloomy and
depressed. His heart is filled with lust, anger, greed, vanity, hypocrisy and egoism. Compare for a
moment the life of this man with that of the magnanimous Sage of the Himalayas! They are poles
asunder. The one is a God-man, the other is a bruteman. But if the brute-man seeks the company of
the God-man, he will surely give up his old dirty habits. Just as iron is transmuted into gold by the
touch of the philosopher’s stone, so also the brute-man will be radically changed into a veritable
saint by and by through constant contact with a developed Yogi.
Good friend! Slay this serpent of ignorance mercilessly. Get Knowledge of Self: This will
give your Freedom or Liberation. Ignorance is your deadliest enemy. He has plundered the Jewel of
Wisdom for long ages. Rise above temptations of this little world. This world is a show for five
minutes directed by the juggler, Maya or mind. Beware. Do not get yourself entrapped. Money,
woman, power, name, fame—these are the live tempting baits of Maya. Those who have not fallen
victims to these illusory baits will surely reach the other shore of immortality and fearlessness—the
shore beyond darkness where there is perennial joy and eternal sunshine. Reach this shore through
indefatigable struggle, rigid discipline and rigorous practice of Yoga.
From the condition of your mind, from your feelings and conduct, you can very well
understand the nature of your actions in your previous lives and can nullify or counteract the effects
of evil actions by doing good actions, Tapas, discipline and meditation. Try to lead a life of
non-attachment. Discipline your mind carefully. No one is free from pains, diseases, troubles,
difficulties. You will have to rest in your divine nature. Then alone you will draw strength to face
the difficulties of life. Then only you will have a balanced mind. Then only you will not be affected
by external morbid influences and discordant vibrations. Regular meditation in the morning will
give you new strength and inner life of joy and bliss. Practise meditation. Feel this joy and bliss
despite your stormy conditions and adverse circumstances. Gradually you will grow spiritually.
You will attain Self-realisation.
Abandon this eat-drink-and-be-merry policy. Look always upwards and onwards. Have an
ideal before you. Live up to it at any cost. You can become as great as anyone else. Give up this
inferiority-complex. Give up the superiority-complex also. The idea of inferiority and superiority is
born of ignorance. Inferiority-complex will cause worry. Superiority complex will generate pride
and vanity. Put up the switch of the eternal Light in the innermost chambers of your heart. Keep the
Divine Flame burning steadily. Feed it regularly. Throw your whole heart and soul in spiritual
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PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA
practices. Waste not even a single minute. Be persistent and methodical in your Sadhana. Marshal
up all your forces properly and powerfully even as the Lieutenant-General in the army marshals up
the armies on the battlefield. All miseries will melt away soon. You will shine as a glorious
Jivanmukta with the highest realisation. All sense of separateness, distinction, duality, difference
will vanish out of sight. You will feel oneness and unity everywhere. You will feel that there is
nothing but Brahman or God. What a magnanimous vision you are blessed with! What an exalted
state, what a sublime, soul-stirring and stupendous experience will be yours! You will get
dumbfounded. This state is indescribable. You must experience it by direct intuitive perception.
Introspect daily in the morning and examine the various nooks and corners of your heart.
The mind is very diplomatic and cunning. The ego will keep several desires for secret gratification.
Many desires will be lurking in your mind. It is very hard to detect their presence. Aspirants who are
puffed up with their scholarly erudition and some powers (Siddhis) cannot trace the existence of
these under-currents of desires in their minds. They pose themselves as great Yogins, deliver
lectures in various parts of the world, build Ashrams and make lady-disciples. Nevertheless, it
should be admitted, their speeches do not produce any deep impression in the minds of the hearers.
These speeches are like empty bullets. The secret desires attack the student of Yoga mercilessly,
whenever a suitable opportunity presents itself and destroys all his noble qualities and sublime
ideals. They pounce upon the student of Yoga with a vengeance and redoubled vigour and bring a
hopeless downfall that has no parallel. Those who have a pure, subtle intellect, who remember God
always, who thirst for communion with Him, who practice daily introspection, self-analysis and
meditation will be able to detect the presence of lurking desires, not others. He who has abandoned
all desires, who is free from all yearnings, attains everlasting Peace. He enjoys the supremest
Happiness. The fewer the desires, the greater the happiness. That desireless Yogi who roams about
in the world with a loin-cloth and a blanket only is the happiest man in all the three worlds.
Selfishness is a negative attribute of the lower mind. It is a modification of desire that arises
in a mind filled with passion. It is the first-born child of ignorance or indiscrimination. It is the
greatest obstacle to the practice of Yoga. It is the bane of life. It contracts the heart ad infinitum and
intensifies the idea of separateness from others. Selfishness goes hand in hand with egoism,
hypocrisy, vanity, miserliness, cunningness, dishonesty and pride.
How to eradicate this selfishness? The answer is simple enough. Selfless service in some
form or another, cultivation of the opposite virtuous qualities, viz., nobility, magnanimity,
disinterestedness, integrity, generosity, charitable nature, mercy and universal love—all these will
pave a long way in the eradication of this dire malady, the deadly foe of peace and Yoga. Positive
overpowers the negative. This is an infallible dictum in Yoga.
To sum up the fundamental requisites for the practice of Yoga: You should have absolute
fearlessness, regard for every creature that breathes, respect for truth, continence, absence of greed,
a life of contentment, austerity, absence of anger and hypocrisy. Moral excellence is not the final
goal of life but is only the means to that end. When the Yogi is established in these virtues, he gets
some powers such as effectiveness of speech, arrival of unsought wealth, vigour of body and mind,
clear and lucid undertaking of life’s events, clarity of thought, steadiness of attention, control of the
senses, immense joy and intuition.
18
YOGIC DISCIPLINE
Beloved Immortal Self! Observe vow of silence. Keep the mind fully occupied. Sit on your
favourite Asana and do regular meditation. Sing the Name of the Lord. Twirl the beads. Study the
Scriptures. Practise celibacy or be very, very moderate in sexual acts. Take almonds and
sugar-candy every morning.7
Do not consult doctors. Do not think of your disease. Divert the mind
from the body. Be cheerful always. Smile, whistle, laugh, dance in joy and ecstasy. Think of God
and meditate upon Him with true devotion and feeling and merge in Him. This is the goal of life.
You have attained it after a long and continued struggle for some years with zeal and enthusiasm.
You have now become a Jivanmukta (living liberated soul). Hail, hail to thee, a thousand hails, my
child.

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