Obedience to guru is better than reverence. Obedience is a precious virtue, because if you try to develop obedience, the ego which is the arch enemy on the path to self-realisation, is rooted out. Only the disciple who obeys his guru can have command over his lower self. Obedience should he very practical, whole hearted and actively persevering. True obedience to guru neither procrastinates nor questions. A hypocritical disciple obeys his guru from fear. The true disciple obeys his guru with pure love, for love’s sake.

Learn how to obey, then only can you command. Learn to be a disciple, then only can you become a guru. Give up the delusive notion that to submit to the preceptor, to obey him, and to carry out his instructions is slavish mentality. The ignorant man thinks that it is beneath his dignity and against his freedom to submit to another man’s command. This is a grave blunder. If you reflect carefully, you will see that your individual freedom is, in reality, an absolutely abject slavery to your own ego and vanity. It is the vagaries of the sensual mind.

He who attains victory over the mind and the ego is the truly free man. He is the hero. It is to attain this victory that man submits to the higher spiritualized personality of the guru. By his submission, he vanquishes his lower ego and realises the bliss of infinite consciousness. The disciple who has faith in the guru argues not, thinks not, reasons not and cognates not. He simply obeys and obeys and obeys. This is the path of the disciple.

Happy-go-lucky disciples

The spiritual path is not like writing a thesis for the Master of Arts degree. It is quite a different line altogether. The help of a teacher is necessary at every moment. Young aspirants become self-sufficient, arrogant, and self-assertive these days. They do not want to carry out the orders of the guru. They do not wish to have a guru. They want to be independent from the very beginning. They think they are in the turiya avastha when they don’t even know the ABC of spirituality or truth.

Such disciples mistake licentiousness or having their own sweet way for freedom. This is a serious, lamentable mistake. That is the reason why they do not grow. They lose their faith in the efficacy of sadhana and in the existence of God. They wander about in a happy-go-lucky manner, without any aim, from Kashmir to Gangotri, and from Gangotri to Rameswaram, talking some nonsense on the way, something from Vichara Sagara, something from Panchadasi, and posing as jivanmuktas.

If you want to drink water at the tap, you will have to bend yourself. Even so, if you want to drink the spiritual nectar of immortality which flows from the holy lips of the guru, you will have to be an embodiment of humility and obedience. Before desiring the grace of the master, the disciple should deserve it. Divine grace comes only when the disciple is fit to receive it.

Guru tests

The disciple can imbibe spiritual knowledge and power from his guru only in proportion to his faith and obedience. The guru communicates the secret knowledge to his disciples only after repeated testing. In the days of yore, the tests were very severe.

Once Guru Govind Singh tested his students. He said, ‘My dear disciples, if you have real devotion for me, let six of you come forward and give me your heads. Then we can have success in our attempt’. Two faithful disciples offered their heads. Guru Govind Singh took them inside the camp and cut off the heads of two goats instead. The guru tests the disciples in various ways. So one misunderstand him and lose faith, hence they are not benefited.

Surrender and grace

The grace of the guru descends upon those who are utterly faithful and obedient to him. Faith is confidence and trust in the guru. Faith is firm conviction of the truth declared by the guru either by way of testimony or authority, without any other evidence or proof. The disciple who has faith in the guru is able to surrender himself totally. The disciple’s self-surrender to the guru and the guru’s grace are both interrelated. Surrender draws down the grace and the grace of the guru makes the surrender complete and perfect.

The grace of the guru works in the form of spiritual practice in the disciple. If the disciple sticks to the path with tenacity, this is the grace of the guru. If he resists temptation when it assails him, this is the grace of the guru. If people receive him with love and reverence, this is the grace of the guru. If he gets all bodily wants, this is the grace of the guru. If he gets encouragement and strength when he is in despair, this is the grace of the guru. If he transcends body consciousness and rests in his own Self, this is the grace of the guru. The disciple must feel his grace at every step and be sincere and obedient to him.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Sep, 1990)

Satsang at Ganga Darshan 5.12.89

The mere fact that we have accepted somebody as our guru represents our conviction that this person can help us evolve, and that commitment or that conviction is from the level of the spirit. When I see certain things happening on the outside and I say, ‘Oh, he’s really bad’, is that my spirit talking or is that my mind talking? If it is my spirit talking then there was never any connection with that person as a guru, and I could not have accepted that person as my guru. If it is my mind talking, it is because of certain concepts and ideas that I’ve developed in my life, that guru has to be like this or like that.

I’ll tell you of one real example. I had a student in the United States who was a very good person, a very nice elderly lady. She had been to many places and finally she had come to our ashram and she was really enjoying it, having lots of good experiences. She used to ask the swamis and other people, ‘Can I make him my guru?’ They said, ‘Well, that’s up to you. How can we say?’

One day some people invited me to go to “Big Mac”, you know, McDonald’s. Alright, so we went, in three cars, the whole class and there we started having our food. This lady also came, and from that day onwards she never came back to the ashram. I did not know why, so I asked other people, ‘ I haven’t seen her for the past two or three weeks, what has happened? Is she sick?’ They told me, ‘She can’t accept you as her guru.’ I said, ‘What do you mean? I never told her that I was her guru or anything like that.’

Then I realized the whole story. She had been asking other people if I could be her guru and before I could say anything, before she said anything to me, I went to ‘Big Mac’ – and that immediately changed all her ideas. How can a guru go to a restaurant? I said, ‘Well, if chat is what she thinks, she’s in for a lot of surprises.’ If the feeling is from the spirit, then guru is simply an enlightened being no matter how he is externally.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, July,1990)

“Let me be like a child, running barefoot through the forest of laughing and crying people, handing out flowers of imagination and wonder that God gives free.”
Swami Satyananda Saraswati

It was a warm summer day. The crowd in the waiting room looked harassed by the morning heat. The fan overhead whirred monotonously and hot air ruffled the papers on the table. There was a subtle blend of restlessness and lethargy that comes with boredom. A little child walked into my room shepherded by his very efficient looking parent.

Sukhdev was a dreamer. As he approached my desk, his eyes were like stars, and following his gaze I saw it reach the single rose in an empty medicine bottle. I knew then that this boy would go far- that he was more perceptive than every adult in that room, whose minds had strayed beyond the flower to the dust on the window ledge and settled there with discontent.

We want him to shine

The mother had brought him to a psychiatrist because his teacher felt that there was something odd about the boy. She was upset that an eight year old child did not play rough games with other children, that he often looked out of the window of the crowded classroom at the clouds floating by. He liked playing with mud at home and made himself dirty in the process. He studied only two hours in the evening, while the neighbour’s child laboured’ at his desk for four hours or more.

Besides, his father held a very important post in government service and ‘he had a tradition to maintain’. Tell me’, I asked the mother, ‘What sort of tradition is this?’ ‘His father comes from a very well known family. His grandfather was a high court judge and we are perfectionists, Doctor. We love our child. We would like him to be at the top of his class academically and in extracurricular activities; we want him to shine. His sister is no bother. She is very smart. It is only this boy who causes us endless worry.’

I looked at the boy they so ‘loved’ and yet had brought to a mental therapist for emotional plastic surgery- so that what he was could be replaced by a socially acceptable personality. It took me less than fifteen minutes to see that Sukhdev was above average intelligence. Finding the routine cramming of classroom facts stifling, and unable to escape the situation, he had intuitively taken recourse into little forays of adventure in fantasy to keep alive the spark of creativity. It took me all of three months to help the mother accept him and his unique individuality- to help her learn the beginnings of real love- that which does not bind, but frees.

The roots of violence

Day after day Sukdev’s mother rediscovered herself as she discussed mothering and parental attitudes. It requires courage in a mother, a courage born out of love, to set a son free from oneself, free from small values. Sukhdev’s mother had that love.

We read daily, accounts of rapes, violence, strikes, suicides, corruption, assaults. We reflected on the fact that hardened criminals, at one time, were innocent children. Where did they learn to be violent? We often recognise violence only when it is physical. If a deeply insecure parent goads a child into running the rat race of ambition, is he not injecting violence into-the child’s personality?

When a father tramples on the love and trust in a child for the sake of petty desires is this not violence? What is this generation doing for its young? We are busy building departments of education and health, projects and institutions, but we forget the foundation; that of wonder and comparison. Children all over are told to shut up and study whenever they ask, ‘Why are there so many stars in the sky? Why do butterflies have beautiful colours? Can I make mud balls?’

Often children are told that if they do not get good marks in school, they will have no future. ‘I often wonder what future we are talking about,’ I said to the boy’s mother, Is it a stereotype of today built with our insecurities, or a tomorrow of compassion forged by these little ones inspired by an inner freedom?’ She was trying out her wings, but conflict between the inner and the outer continued, ‘Parents sometimes say that children need to be spontaneous and creative, but the system today demands that they compete,’ she replied.

There is magic

This idea is an illusion we hold to justify our weaknesses. Millions of people in the west are satiated with luxury and feel discontented, bored and frustrated. Much of the problem is that they are ignorant of their potential, their inner capacity to move through a chaotic world and find magic in it. Because beyond the violence, cruelty and turmoil, there is magic. But you can see it only through the eyes of a child.

Watch your child follow an ant to its destination, rapt in its pilgrim progress. See him smell a half forgotten wayside flower. Look at his eyes light up as a cat uncurls. This is a wonder- a part of yourself that turns this monotony driven world into a symphony of love and faith.

Each individual has more than 15 billion nerve cells in the brain. Considering that the whole human organism is built from the potential of one single cell, consider the power lying dormant in each nerve cell of a highly specialised organ. Is it not all delusion to look at such a vast reservoir of possibilities and call it colourless, useless or inferior?

Few people know the implications of the research by Sperry, who was awarded the Nobel Prize last year for his split-brain experiments. He proved that the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for the verbal conscious aspect of the mind and for logical, sequential and rational thinking. The right half is the seat of the subconscious and unconscious, the deeper layers of personality, the intuitive, artistic, creative dimensions of the mind. It is this aspect that is responsible for musical creations, masterpieces of art, scientific discoveries- in fact the essence of genius.

These deep and powerful parts of ourselves are often choked by logic, strangled with anxiety, and kept suppressed by the millions of impulses that bombard the average mind- the impulse to be cleverer than the other, to run down a rival, to market oneself and the world in a constant endeavour to fill up the growing vacuum within.

Building a firm foundation

Up to the age of eight years a child’s intuition is alive. Around this time, the pineal, which is a small pea sized gland at the base of the brain, starts atrophying and the child has the physical, mental and emotional turbulences of puberty thrust upon him before he can learn to cope. Yogis have known this from time immemorial.

Traditionally, a child was given a mantra, taught pranayama and surya namaskara at this age. These practices work through the endocrinal system, the autonomic and central nervous system delaying the sudden onset of puberty. This allows the emotional development to catch up with the physical and mental development, thereby creating an inner harmony which becomes a firm foundation for later responsibilities.

These techniques which have come down to us through the ages have been contaminated with social value systems and are rapidly losing their true purpose. Today, with the vast amount of research going on in western countries, in schools and hospitals, there is a resurgence in these well known yogic practices. They are being rediscovered in the light of practical, effective functioning; in the light of increased relaxation and awareness that goes towards realising the heights of one’s potential, to soar beyond one’s limited self.

Lighting a candle

If we see suffering and hardship around us, let us not throw stones or moan. It is only in the dark that one has the experience of lighting a candle. We have shackled ourselves far too long. We have held on to our external identifications of social status, power, family name, social values, cars, etc.

Let us sow the seeds of peace, creativity, pride in oneself, compassion for the other into the lives of the next generation by example not instruction. Let us renounce this need to see ourselves in our children. Let us allow them to break away from our limited concepts into the fullness of their own unlimited inner being.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, May, 1983)

Gandhiji said, ‘It is better to enjoy through the body than to be enjoying the thought of it. It is good to disapprove of sensual desires as soon as they arise in the mind and try to keep them down, but if, for want of physical enjoyment, the mind wallows in thoughts of enjoyment, then it is legitimate to satisfy the hunger of the body. About this I have no doubt. Sex urge is a fine and noble thing. There is nothing to be ashamed of in it, but it is meant only for the act of creation.’(1)

Gandhiji was against the use of contraceptives for birth control. He believed in self-restraint of animal passion and in cohabiting only when reproduction or birth of a child is desired. He opined that brahmacharya means control of senses in thought, word, and deed and that is the way of life which leads to God.

Gandhiji took the vow of brahmacharya (celibacy) in 1906 at the age of thirty six years, after full discussion and deliberation. He had not shared his thoughts with his wife until then, but only consulted her at the time of taking the vow. She had no objection, but he had great difficulty in making the final resolve. He had not the necessary strength. How was he to control his passions? The elimination of carnal relationship with one’s wife seemed then a strange thing. But he launched forth with faith in the sustaining power of God. It is like walking on the sword’s edge and he saw in every moment the necessity for eternal vigilance.

What is brahmacharya? It is the way of life which leads us to Brahma. It includes full control over the process of reproduction. The control must be in thought, word, and deed. If the thought is not under control, the other two have no value. For one whose thought is under control, the other is mere child’s play.

Gandhiji said, ‘It appears to me that even the true aspirant does not need the above-mentioned restraints. Brahmacharya is not a virtue that can be cultivated by outward restraints. He who runs away from a necessary contact with a woman does not understand the full meaning of brahmacharya. However attractive a woman may be, her attraction will produce no effect on the man without the urge.’

He further stated, ‘I know from my own experience, that, as long as I looked upon my wife carnally, we had no real understanding. Our love did not reach a high plane. There was affection between us always, but we came closer and closer the more we, rather I, became restrained. There never was any want of restraint on the part of my wife. Very often she would show restraint, but she rarely resisted me, although she showed disinclination very often. All the time I wanted carnal pleasure, I could not serve her. The moment I bade goodbye to a life of carnal pleasure, our whole relationship became spiritual. Lust died and love reigned instead.’

Control of the palate is the first essential in the observation of the vow. Gandhiji found that complete control of the palate made the observance very easy and so he started dietetic experiments. As a result, he observed that a brahmachari should be limited to simple spice less, and if possible uncooked foods. The brahmachari should take his evening meal before sunset; fruit and nuts were his ideal food. He found milk to be an aphrodisiac and advised people to avoid milk as far as possible.

As an external aid to brahmacharya, fasting is as necessary as selection and restriction in diet. So overpowering are the senses that they can be kept under control only when they are completely hedged in on all sides, from above and from beneath. It is common knowledge that the senses are powerless without food, and so fasting undertaken with a view to control of the senses is, he felt, very helpful.

Gandhiji said,” ‘But the path of purification is hard and steep. To attain perfect purity, one has to become absolutely passion-free in thought, speech and action; to rise above the opposing currents of love and hatred, attachment and repulsion. I know that I have not in me as yet, that triple purity, in spite of constant, ceaseless striving for it. That is why the world’s praise fails to move me; indeed, it very often stings me. To conquer the subtle passions seems to me harder by far than the physical conquest of the world by the force of arms.’ Later on, when Gandhiji returned to India, he realised that such brahmacharya was impossible to attain by mere human effort. Until then he was under the illusion that a mere diet of fresh fruits and nuts would enable him to maintain celibacy.

‘Those who desire to observe brahmacharya with a view to realising God need not despair, provided their faith in God is equal to their confidence in their own effort. Therefore His name and His grace are the last resources of the aspirant after moksha. This truth came to me only after my return to India.’

‘Divine knowledge is not borrowed from books. It has to be realised in oneself. Books are at best an aid, often even a hindrance.’ Thus said Gandhiji.

Gandhiji recommended cold water hip bath for control of passion and night falls. Pandit Shri Pad Damodar Satvelekar had mentioned in one of his letters to Gandhiji (Sabarmati Gandhi Sangrah) that semen discharged because of masturbation or night falls could be absorbed by rubbing at the eyebrow centre or on the chest where both ribs meet.

Gandhiji said, ‘Brahmacharya is such only if it persists under all conditions and in the face of every possible temptation. If a beautiful woman approaches the marble statue of a man, it will not be affected in the least. A brahmachari is one who reacts in a similar situation in the same way as marble does.’(2)

‘You argue that the sight and the company of woman have been found to be inimical to self-restraint and are therefore to be avoided. This argument is fallacious. Brahmacharya hardly deserves the name if it can be observed only by avoiding the company of women, even when such company is kept with a view to serve. It amounts to physical renunciation un-backed by the essential mental detachment, and lets us down in critical times.’

‘I want to test, enlarge and revise the current definition of brahmacharya, in the light of my observation, study and experience. Therefore, whenever an opportunity presents itself I do not evade it or run away from it. On the contrary, I deem it my duty, dharma, to meet it squarely in the face and find out where it leads to and where I stand.’

‘To avoid the contact of a woman or to run away from it out of fear, I regard as unbecoming of an aspirant after true brahmacharya. I have never tried to cultivate or seek sex contact for carnal satisfaction. I do not claim to have completely eradicated the sex feeling in me. But it is my claim that I keep it under control.’

Gandhiji experimented with different techniques which help in observing celibacy.(3) He allowed women inmates of his ashram to sleep with him on the same bed and under the same cover, just to test whether it aroused any passion in him or in the woman.

Gandhiji felt more at home in dealing with the special problems which belong to womankind. He apotheosised womankind; so much so that he finally came to the conclusion that progress in civilisation depended upon the introduction into it of a large measure of the love and self-sacrifice which woman, the mother of man, best represented in her own person.

Women, for their part, drew readily near him, for they instinctively recognised in him one of their own kind. Their intimate association helped to strengthen those elements of non-violence of which he held them to be natural representatives; while such occasions were also utilised by him for examining how far his own identification had become complete.

The feminine attitude developed as an important trait in his character ever since he began his practice of brahmacharya and as the identification was never complete, the desire to imagine how far it had advanced at any point of time remained permanently with him.

This spiritual necessity of association with woman and of constant self-examination by means of a technique reminiscent of tantra was, however, not appreciated by some of Gandhiji’s closest associates, who even left him because of it. Gandhiji used to sleep with young women on the same bed, not for satisfaction of any animal passion, but for valid moral reasons; for establishing brahmacharya.

His close associates were of the opinion that he was suffering from a sense of self-delusion in regard to his relation with the opposite sex. After he asked women to share his bed and even the cover he used, he then tried to ascertain if even the least trace of sensual feeling had been evoked in himself or his companion (4). In the opinion of Gandhiji this was merely an experiment or self-examination to test his establishment in brahmacharya.

Gandhiji did not call that brahmacharya, which means not to touch a woman. In his opinion, brahmacharya is that thought and practice which puts you in touch with the infinite and takes you into His presence. He tried to reach that state and in accordance with his belief, and he had made substantial progress in that direction.

He said his wife ceased to be an instrument of lust after he took his vow of brahmacharya, she ceased to be that when she lay with him naked as his sister. If she and he were not lustfully agitated in their minds and bodies, the contact raised both of them.

The woman inmates of his ashram used to hold Gandhiji tightly clasped to their bodies (5) in cold weather or whenever his blood circulation became poor because of his old age, in order to give him the warmth of their youthful bodies. This practice is known as ‘gorocomy’.

Gandhiji said, ‘It is wrong to call me an ascetic. The ideals that regulate my life are presented for acceptance by mankind in general; I have arrived at them by gradual evolution. Every step was thought out, well considered, and taken with the greatest deliberation. Both my continence and non-violence were derived from personal experience and became necessary in response to the calls of public duty. I claim to be no more than average with less than average ability. Nor can I claim any special merit for such non-violence or continence as I have been able to reach with laborious research.’

1. an aotubiography, M.K. Gandhi, Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad.

2. All Men are Brother, life and thoughts of mahatma Gandhi as told in his own words, UNESCO Paris.

3. My Days with Ganshi, Nirmal Kunar Bose, Calcutta.

4. Ibid.

5. Ibid.

(Courtesy : ‘Yoga Today’, London)

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Oct, 1983)

Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi are the eight parts of yogic discipline. Non-violence, truth, honesty, sensual abstinence and non-possessiveness are the five yama (self-restraints). Cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-study and resignation to God constitute niyama (fixed observances).
Yoga Sutras, 11:29, 30, 32.

One of the biggest obstacles to a deeper understanding of yoga lies in the concept of yama and niyama as expounded in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Many people pick up the works of the great masters, and having intellectually analysed and memorised these texts, feel that they have gained some advancement in yoga. However, this is merely another trick of the mind and such knowledge seems to become an actual barrier to further learning and progress.

In approaching a book as vast as Patanjali has recorded we must see it in perspective. When he states in his first sutra, ‘Now, therefore, complete instructions regarding yoga’, he implies that prior to this the aspirant has become grounded in karma and bhakti yoga; that he has put his lifestyle, emotions and intellectual life in order and harmony. The first years of yoga must encompass asana, pranayama and hatha yoga; they must be years in which we try to let go of our preconceptions and open up, so as to receive real knowledge based on experience and piercing insight. Only then can we fulfil Patanjali’s definition of asana as a steady and comfortable posture, one that can be maintained for hours without moving, and pranayama as cessation of inhalation and exhalation.

The eight limbs

In approaching the eight limbs of raja yoga we must try to put aside the intellectual, analytical, linear approach and see them as a whole. A circular approach is more appropriate because perfection in yama and niyama can only occur when there is samadhi. Perfect contentment and surrender to God, for example, are the result of transcendence rather than the cause. We may start out practising yama and niyama, but constantly we have to come back to them for reassessment.

As we progress yogically, mastering the external practices of asana and pranayama and gaining access to the inner side via pratyahara, dharana and dhyana, we can better understand how yama and niyama work. Thus the eight limbs of raja yoga are not so much linear ‘steps’, but work as parts or ‘limbs’ of a total organism which is raja yoga. All limbs must be worked on and mastered concurrently. This is why Patanjali states in the sutra preceding those on yama and niyama that by practising (all) the parts of yoga, impurity diminishes until the rise of spiritual knowledge culminates in awareness of reality. (Y.S., 11:28)

We say the eight limbs of raja yoga, therefore have two aspects, the first is their practice and the second, their realisation. Patanjali states that, when the yama are practised universally without exception due to birth, place, time and circumstances, they become great disciplines and have certain desirable results, such as: abandonment of hostility in the vicinity of the practitioner of ahimsa, non-violence, and knowledge of how and from where birth comes, developed by aparigraha, non- acquisitiveness. (Y.S., 11:31,35,39)

The path to attainment

On the path to attainment of success in yama and niyama, many obstacles occur. Misconceptions, disturbances of mind, passion, greed, anger, confusion and old habits tend to assert themselves and inhibit progress, especially if we lack willpower and determination, or if our desire for true spiritual progress is weak.

Patanjali says disturbances preventing progress can be mild, medium or intense but that they can be overcome by ‘pratipaksha bhavana’, thinking about the opposite of the disturbance (Y.S., 11:33, 34). For example, if we desire something, this will disturb the mind and nervous system and cause us to act contrary to the yama of non-acquisitiveness, aparigraha. If we feel guilty because of this or frustrated because we cannot get the desired result, and then try to suppress the desire or feeling, the suppressed desire will resurface with greater strength causing more mental disturbance. Suppression wastes energy in inappropriate mental and physical activity and can even lead to mental and physical disease. Patanjali, as the master psychologist, advises us to channel our mental activity creatively by putting our energy into conjuring up the positive vision which is the opposite of the disturbance. Thus we develop the habit of positive, creative thinking and calm rather than excite and deplete our nervous system.

The point to remember is that progress in developing yama and niyama is necessarily slow, and final culmination will be sometime in the future. Gandhiji, for example, spent his whole life in the attempt to master non-violence and brahmacharya. Our own approach must also be slow, steady and balanced, seen in perspective and undertaken correctly. Guidance from an experienced teacher, patience and tolerance in the face of failure, honesty with one’s self and persistent effort must eventually result in improvement if not eventual mastery.

Brahmacharya

Without a doubt the concept of brahmacharya is one of the least understood of the yama and niyama. Brahmacharya, sensual abstinence, is said to give virya, indomitable courage and strength, and is thought by many people to refer to celibacy, or absolute abstinence from sexual thought and activity. Though sexual abstinence is a major facet of brahmacharya it is only a part, and is one of the most difficult sensual urges to control, being one of the most powerful. One can say it is the doorway to control of the senses because its mastery leads to easy mastery of the other sensual activities. Only then can we enter the internal domain via pratyahara, sensory withdrawal, with ease.

Brahmacharya is more an attitude of mind towards all sensual objects, its literal meaning being turning of the mind towards the absolute, or God consciousness and, therefore, away from sensual indulgence. It implies that, in the perfected state, when we are absorbed in the highest consciousness, the bliss and knowledge gained wipe out the craving for sexual and sensual activity because it is a better, more fulfilling state.

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj summed up the state of brahmacharya when he said, “My world is just like yours. I see, I hear, I feel, I think, I speak and act in a world I perceive just like you. But with you, it is all: with me it is almost nothing… On realisation. pleasure and pain lost their sway over me. I was free from desire and fear. I found myself full, needing nothing.”

Such a state is free from the need for sensual indulgence. On the way to this state the practice of sensual abstinence is required so that the mind is not continually distracted by thoughts of food, sex and other pleasures, so that we can become more aware of our inner fulfilment. It does not mean that we never fulfil sensual demands, because health of the body may demand this and realising this, we should not be overpowered by guilt and other negative mental reactions. If these occur we are better off fulfilling our body’s demands.

The danger of suppression

Many people suffer needlessly in the attempt to master brahmacharya. Sexual activity is a very potent, biological urge and the most powerful emotions are linked up with the sex drive. Buddhists state that this sex drive is operating even prior to conception and birth, determining the selection of future parents and of the actual sex during embryonic development. Any attempt at its mastery requires courage and determination. It is said to be such a strong force that any attempt to master it is like grabbing hold of a tiger’s tail.

Another reason for needless suffering in the attempt to master sexual energy is that it is often motivated by guilt complexes, neurosis and hang-ups about sex. A person who feels guilty every time he gets a sexual thought or feeling, or fears that he will become weakened by seminal emission or wet dreams, may try to find solace in the lofty idealism of what he imagines brahmacharya to be. If the thought of lust occurs, however, it engages the hormonal and nervous systems, creating a bodily response that we cannot stop or repress and any attempt at suppression only strains and weakens the nervous system allowing more sexual responses to occur, generating more guilt and mental imbalance and even disease and psychosis if the guilt engendered proves too much to bear.

First steps in brahmacharya

The first steps in any attempt at brahmacharya must begin after the foundations of asana, pranayama and simple meditative relaxation – concentration practices have begun. Asana and pranayama relax the nervous system and reduce its excitability and arousal enabling us to better control the nerves and nadis (energy flow) via awareness cultivated during meditation. Simple meditations such as yoga nidra for relaxation, ajapa japa to stimulate psychic structures, and antar mouna to develop detachment and witness capacity, disengage the emotional response from the thought. We think with the brain’s frontal cortex but we do not engage the emotional response in the limbic system and thereby do not stimulate the autonomic nervous system or endocrine glands. In effect we can think what we like without being affected by it and this ultimately gives perfection in brahmacharya.

The basic formula for brahmacharya is: work hard, eat less, sleep less. Though Freud may have said that such a philosophy works on sublimation of the sexual drive into other creative pursuits, there is more to it than that. Working hard obviously means that we use our energy up so that we are too tired to do anything else and our minds are occupied with other problems, responsibilities and thoughts so that desires for sexual activity are forgotten. This by itself is not enough for brahmacharya because many people feel that when they work hard they have to eat plenty of protein and rich food to sustain and fatten the body. This combination, however, may increase sexual urge rather than reduce it.

Food is a very important part of brahmacharya, for it is, for many people, the sole outlet for sensual pleasure and also feeds the fires of the sexual system. In brahmacharya the food must be bland, free from stimulants such as strong tea and coffee, onion, garlic, strong spices and so on.

The diet must also be low in protein, especially meat, fish and all milk and animal products. This is because the pituitary gland requires proteins and vitamins E and B for the manufacture of its hormones. When we eat less protein we get less hormones and what protein is assimilated will be used for the more essential requirements and demands. Milk also contains certain hormones which stimulate the production of sexual hormones.

The diet of the yogin is higher in carbohydrate than protein or fat, especially in the form of whole grains. This is to stimulate the serotonin system of the brain, that system which reduces sexual excitation and is related to dream states and perhaps internal visionary experience. Such a diet does not stop sexual activity but reduces its power to affect the mind. By itself, however, it is incomplete and the final culmination is most easily achieved by combining diet with the other practices of yoga and an awareness of what the aim of the discipline is. This must be balanced by the knowledge that we are not aiming at celibacy as an end in itself, but rather as a means of reducing distractions from the goal of higher awareness. Sexual activity is not a sin.

The yama and niyama, when based on developed yogic practices, become reminders by which we can regain equilibrium each time the mind passes through times of crisis, desire, passion, intense emotion, hate and so on. All of them must be approached with an awareness of our present limitations and with the view in mind that many times we may fail but ultimately, with perseverance, we will succeed.

The ultimate aim of yama and niyama is not to develop an imposed moral or ethical system which makes life dull and boring and our minds fixed and rigid. Rather they aim to diminish the power of our passions and to channel these energies into the awakening of kundalini and higher consciousness. They are then transformed from a form of sadhana into a realisation. which opens the door to greater freedom and joy.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Oct, 1983)

Sannyasins exist only for a universal purpose. They are the custodians of spirituality – the advancement and elevation of humanity. To equip themselves for the noble task entrusted to their care they first isolate themselves from the rest of mankind as a necessary discipline.

Unfortunately, this separation has become a permanent condition – a unit outside the pale of the rest of humanity, struggling valiantly in the cities and fields. Losing touch with others has made us forget the part we have to play and to forget our work as teachers and enlighteners.

We have once again to bestir ourselves and recommence playing our destined part, to be one united body, dedicated to the noble ideal of exerting ourselves unselfishly and wholeheartedly for ushering in the new era of brotherhood and peace that must follow after the years of savage strife and bloodshed the world is now plunged in.

Every section of humanity will play its part in the reconstruction of the new world on a worthier basis. If the new civilisation is to be enduring, it has to be based on lasting values of a spiritual nature. This is the work of the sannyasins. We have to set to work by precept, actual example and active work. Let us start with earnestness and faith. The way to achieve this is selfless union.

A sannyasin has a different angle of vision. He has different eyes. He looks upon everything from an absolutely different point of view. Just as a man who wears green spectacles, sees green objects everywhere, so also a gyani sees Atman everywhere through his new eye of wisdom. There is absolutely no personal element in him. He has not a bit of selfish interest. The lower self is completely annihilated. He lives for serving all. He feels the world as his own self. He actually feels that all is himself only. There is not a single thought or feeling for his personal little self. He has cosmic vision and cosmic feeling. Just as the river has joined the ocean, he has joined the ocean of bliss, knowledge and consciousness. He thinks and feels and works for others.

A genuine sannyasin is a proof of the heights scaled in the development of spiritual wisdom, in a resolute disregard for the merely materialistic values and complete devotion to the supreme ends and values of human existence. It has been, through several centuries, the distinctive role of the enlightened sannyasins to disseminate more by the example of their lives than by word of mouth.

They have kept up the traditions of spiritual development, breathing peace and welfare for all mankind, proved the worth and beauty of the inner spirit in man over the body-mind organism that the human individual is, over the temptations and allurements of the sensual and the worldly, and have established relations with the infinite being that alone sustains all the manifest universes.

This world is woven by the thread of light and darkness, good and evil, truth and falsehood. In social life, evils are recurrently manifesting themselves and into the body of the sannyasin community too there have entered several unwholesome elements. Therefore, from a new spiritual centre, we must seek to eliminate the unworthy from the order.

It is only when the basis of all cultures, the foundation of all movements, the divinity in man, is inspired to make itself manifest in the environment of high aspiration and moral growth rendered possible by the labours of the sannyasins that we can find on earth, peace, happiness, genuine progress, real prosperity and a purposive, meaningful and fulfilled existence.

(Excerpt from “Sannyasa Dharma”)

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Oct, 1983)

If the doors of paradise were open only for the holy people, then I think it would be God’s greatest disappointment. He would have to wait and wait. There would be very few entries into paradise because man’s evolution is incomplete, and he is suffering from infirmity of willpower. He is not perfect. If the doors of hell were open for every sinner, there would surely be a population problem there. This is not a joke. This is a very serious matter which has always been in my mind. I have never believed in sin and I do not think that man is a sinner. We meet obstacles, we falter and we fall, that is all. Every time we fall, we make a fresh attempt to evolve.

It is very important for everybody to know that spiritual light is for everyone, and it is also important for everybody to understand that samadhi and spiritual evolution can be had by all. This is the purpose for which we are born. I cannot see any other reason for my incarnation. I cannot believe that I have come in this physical body with any other purpose.

Often we become self-complacent and we do not want to improve the quality of our existence. In fact many times, when we follow a religious path, we become very careless. A Hindu, when he follows Hindu rituals, becomes complacent. The same thing applies to everybody. We think that with the acceptance of a religion, the objective is attained. Membership to a religious institution is not the ultimate purpose of man’s life. We have to understand the whole affair in context with our day-to-day life. Why are we born? Why do we grow up? Why do we marry? Why do we procreate and so on?

Walking the middle way

In India there was a very ancient tradition which was followed by the saints and sages who lived with their wives and families, deep in the forests and jungles, practising sadhana and meditation. This system was known as the tradition of rishis. The tradition of rishis is meant to give a reorientation to the lifestyle of every householder, because many times householders forget the purpose of life. It is not wrong to enjoy life, to have desires and to fulfil them. It is not wrong to display-passions. But when we forget the purpose and the destination of life, then everything that we are doing has no meaning. It was for this reason that the tradition of rishis was organised thousands of years ago. The tradition of rishis is the tradition of tantric sannyasa.

Now the concept of sannyasa needs redefinition. For most people, a sannyasin is equated with a monk or a nun but this is not correct, as this type of sannyasa does not in any way help the evolution of society. Sannyasa is not, and should not, be considered as an exclusive way of life. A sannyasin, living in seclusion, hating life, detesting everything, is more or less living the life of an idiot. There is no dynamism in his personality, no philosophy or system for balancing the passions. There is no flexibility to adjust to the frivolities of life. How can we say that such a life is complete?

There are then two extreme ways of life: one is the life of a careless householder; another is the life of a monk or sannyasin. One is a rightist and the other is a leftist; there is no middle path. That is why most of the householders today are living a life of guilt and repentance. They are not proud of their own existence, while the sannyasins have become too proud. On one side you have the arrogance of the sannyasin, and on the other, the guilt and repentance of the householder.

This is not how one can develop spiritual awareness. Therefore, what man requires is another concept of sannyasa, not according to the orthodox style, but according to the tantric style.

Tantric concept of sannyasa

In tantra, Shiva and Shakti live together. Shiva represents chitta or consciousness and Shakti represents prana or energy. In this physical body, you have ida and pingala, chitta and prana. You cannot survive with only one aspect. There has to be an integration and correlation of two forces in one body. It is exactly the same in ordinary life, men and women represent these two poles of energy. The quality of energy which men and women embody is different. They may look alike. They may belong to one family and their physical structure may be more or less the same, but the quality of energy is not the same. Whereas ida and pingala function together in the body, in family life, husband and wife, Shiva and Shakti, live together.

This is the concept of tantric sannyasa. So there is no question about whether a man can live with a woman and still be a sannyasin. I do not think that by renouncing a man or a woman, you can become a true sannyasin. Deep in the mind the need is there, and it cannot be rooted out. Therefore the tantric concept of sannyasa has to be understood by each and every person. Those who are serious about awakening their higher spirit should relate their station as a householder in life with this. It is important not only for enlightenment of the individual, but also for an enlightened world. How are you going to raise the standard of your children unless you have a high standard yourself? You have lived the life of careless householders throughout, and you want your children to be careful. It is not possible.

Through your philosophy, you can influence the genes. If you are a careless householder, you have a certain quality of genes, and you can only produce that type of child. Unless you are a deep thinker, the idea of sannyasa will not dawn in your mind. The moment the idea of sannyasa dawns, the genes begin to change, and these genes are responsible for the quality of the child. If there was a race of tantric sannyasins, the level of consciousness of the entire population would rise, and that is quite important in my opinion.

In ancient India there were many such sannyasins, who were married and had children. They were the guides of society and very highly enlightened people. They had great mental and spiritual powers, and contributed a lot towards making life harmonious. Therefore, it is necessary for the people of today to think along these lines.

I thought about it quite a few years ago and then I stalled this international yoga movement. In the beginning, society’s orthodox section was very critical. They thought that, by initiating householders, who ‘sin’ every night, I was polluting sannyasa. I told them that by giving sannyasa to householders, I was not polluting sannyasa, but purifying the life of the householder.

The idea of sannyasa dawns only in the mind of a very enlightened person. When you have become aware that the objective of your life is inner enlightenment, then there is only one way. You should immediately transform the meaning of your existence. Now, throughout the world, there are thousands and thousands of householders living the life of a modern rishi, along with their wives and children. In everyday life they mingle with streams of people, and at the same time they waft all around them the fragrance of spiritual ideals, to remind themselves and to remind others also of the true purpose of life.

Being in the world but not of the world

Now the most important thing for a sannyasin who lives in the world is meditation. He will have to raise his consciousness from a gross level to a higher level. In most cases our consciousness is very gross. For example, when you enjoy chocolate, the experience is gross. Whenever you get a pain in the body, the experience is gross. In this way our pleasures and our pains are experienced through gross centres. Our senses are so extroverted that the mind is not able to experience things directly without an object.

If you want to enjoy a flower, you must see it first. If you want to enjoy music, you must hear it first. If you want to enjoy a beautiful fragrance, you must smell it first. If you want to experience tenderness, you must touch the body. Can you experience these things inside without the intervention of the senses? Can you hear music with the ears closed? Can you see the glory of nature: flowers and trees, oceans, rivers and lakes, mountains and plains, sun, moon and stars, without eyes? Can you experience any pleasure, any pain, any sensation, without the middle man? You know who the middle man is? The senses: karmendriyas and gyanendriyas, the five senses of action and the five senses of knowledge. Without them you cannot experience life. This is an ordinary limitation. But a person who is able to raise his consciousness above the senses can experience everything directly. Therefore, meditation is the life and breath of the modern sannyasin.

Meditation or dhyana yoga is a state in which you experience your mind directly and this mind is so important for everybody. For most, mind is a mystery; it is a demon. Many people have compared the mind with a monkey, but I don’t think the mind is a monkey. The mind is the reservoir of great power, and we know only a little bit of this mind. When you are angry, when you are unhappy; when you are sorry, then you become aware of your mind. You think, ‘Oh, my mind is very unhappy today,’ or ‘My mind is depressed.’ But that is not the mind. You have to realise the totality of mind in the practice of meditation. In order to realise the mind, you will have to decrease the frequency, the speed of fluctuation, and this is not easy, but it is possible. If you can completely remove thoughts and ideas, you can see the mind. If you can completely control the element of unconsciousness, then you can see the mind.

Therefore, to realise the reservoir of the mind, you will have to eliminate three things, and these must be eliminated step by step. The first thing which you will have to eliminate is thought, or fluctuation, the second thing is inner visions, and the third thing is sleep or hypnosis. Then inner awareness is made complete and thorough. As you go on succeeding in meditation, awareness does not diminish, and when you have completely succeeded in meditation, there is total awareness, without thought, without vision, and without hypnosis. Therefore the system which you have to employ for meditation has to be perfect.

Psychedelics, dhyana and brain waves

In the last few years, many boys and girls have taken to using psychedelic drugs. Somehow, there is a misunderstanding in their minds; they think that to see something inside is meditation. They read from the Bible and from other books, that a saint saw this, that and the other, and they think that the experience which is produced with these psychedelic drugs is of the same quality.

In actual fact, such experiences should also be eliminated. A psychedelic experience is the product of a chemical interaction in the body. It is not caused by eliminating a thought; it is not caused by changing the frequencies of the mind. Whatever psychedelic drugs one may take, or whatever experiences he may have there from, these are not at all related with dhyana yoga.

In the olden days, a special herbal drink was used in India. It was not champagne, of course; it was known as ‘soma’. People who took that drink used to feel very ‘high’ and they would have all sorts of experiences. They used to see gods and goddesses in heaven and on earth. But the wise men banned it finally, because they thought that, although it could change the behaviour of the mind, it could not transform it.

In the practice of dhyana yoga, first of all you have to decrease the frequency of the mind waves, which are responsible for the brain waves. In order to decrease the frequency of the mind waves, you have to first withdraw the senses. When the brain is isolated and the senses cannot feed it with the necessary sensorial impulses, then the frequencies decrease.

Mantra – a cornerstone of tantra

Isolation of the brain and mind can be brought about in many ways. One of the most important methods is mantra. There are different ways of practising for different types of people. The sound of the mantra has a deep impact on the behaviour of the brain and mind. The brain waves react to this sound stimuli. For example, if you practise mantra at a medium speed, the brain waves adjust themselves accordingly, and if you go on decreasing the speed of the mantra, the brain waves gradually begin to subside.

Now decreasing the frequencies of the mind is a process which should not be done all at once. It should take time, because, when the mind undergoes a change in the rate of frequencies, many corresponding changes take place in the body. There is a change in the body temperature, in the oxygen consumption, in the galvanic skin resistance, in the quality and quantity of hydrochloric acid and enzyme secretions. Also, many of the changes take place in the physical body suddenly. Therefore, in order to give the body time to adapt, you must allow ample time for the process of decreasing the frequencies of the mind.

If, for example, your mantra is ‘Om Namaha Shivaya’ you should practise it in a particular rhythm. You can fix the mantra at the eyebrow centre or at the heart, and then you must fix the timing. Now this speed of repeating the mantra which you have set should remain the same throughout. But there will be a little modification from time to time. For example, in the first step you say, ‘Om-Na-ma-ha Sh-iv-aya’ and in the second step, after one month, ‘O-m Na-ma-ha Sh-iv-a-ya’ (slower). The mantras and the timing may also be set the same throughout, but then the sound gradually covers many more mantras at one time. Or maybe, after one year, or one and a half years, you can say ‘Ommm-Naaa-maaa-haaa-Shh-ivaa-ayaa’ (very slowly).

Now, sound has many frequencies. At one frequency you can hear many sounds and at another frequency you cannot hear so clearly. At one frequency you can only feel the sound you cannot hear it, and when a sound is produced at the highest possible frequency, it is called thought. When a thought is brought down to low frequency, it is called sound. Therefore, in the practice of mantra, you produce a sound at such a frequency that you can think it in the mind.

According to the science of mantra, a sound has four frequencies. The first frequency is audible, the second is felt, the third becomes a thought wave, and when the fourth frequency is produced, the thinker is no more. That is the aim of mantra meditation. In the books on mantra yoga, these four frequencies have names. The first one is called ‘vaikhari’, the second is ‘madhyama’, the third is ‘pashyanti’, and the fourth is ‘para’. These are the technical names for the four frequencies of mantra. Not only ‘Om Namaha Shivaya’, but any mantra, can be adjusted to a particular rhythm on the mental plane.

The tantric forms of yantra and mandala

Now the practice of mantra will completely remove the intermediary of the senses between you and the mind. Then you must have something to fix your mind upon. This should be a definite object or form. You can concentrate your mind on an idea or on a vibration but it is better to use a fixed form. When you are trying to focus your mind on a particular form, you must see that nothing else but that particular object is in your mind. If other thoughts or visions come, you must remove them. If you are concentrating on a blue lotus, you must reject every other experience except that blue lotus. You should not let your mind drift from your symbol to something else, to something else and to something else.

Often people experience different things in meditation and they become very happy, ‘I saw this, I saw that.’ However, this is not an achievement; it indicates that the mind has drifted; it has gone out of alignment. During meditation it is very difficult to stick to one form, I know, but if you can make your attention constant, your mind steady, without any waves, then the awareness will remain consistently on the blue lotus, the blue lotus, and the blue lotus.

From tantric sannyasa to total awareness

Awareness is like the flow of electrons or the flow of water; it breaks every now and then. So there is the awareness of blue lotus and then a break of awareness, awareness of blue lotus and the break again. In yoga these breaks of consciousness are known as ‘vikshepa’ or ‘vikalpa’. They should be avoided. When you are concentrating on a form and your consciousness becomes constant and consistent without a break, that is called dhyana. When the awareness of the form is beginning-less, endless, and does not break at any point, then it is called dhyana. Dhyana, therefore, means constant, total awareness.

In Sanskrit ‘rishi’ means a ‘seer’, one who can see. A rishi is not a holy man, a clergyman, a priest or a monk. How is he a seer? He can see without eyes; he can hear without ears; he can walk without feet. Such a person is called seer or rishi. Therefore, a tantric sannyasin should practise meditation and aspire to become a rishi.

The spiritual metamorphosis of sex

Now, regarding tantric sannyasa, there is one more question which must be clarified: ‘How to adjust your sexual behaviour?’ Many people have answered this question according to their own idea and image. Is the sexual relationship with your wife or husband spiritual or anti-spiritual? According to the tantric heritage, it is spiritual. This means that you can progress spiritually while you improve upon your sexual interaction with your partner. In tantra it is said that there are three purposes for sexual interaction, and these have been clearly stated .The first is progeny, the second is pleasure and the third is spiritual transformation.

A sensualist interacts for pleasure, and an ordinary man for progeny, but a tantric sannyasin interacts for the purpose of samadhi. This is because the sexual act is intrinsically connected with the awakening of the evolutionary power in man and has very much to do with the awakening of the higher centres responsible for the deeper and more profound experiences. This is an important science and you have to know more about it so that you can apply it in your daily life.

There are certain yoga postures and hatha yoga kriyas through which you can redirect your energy, and if you can handle that experience through the help of a proper teacher, then your life as a householder, the interaction with your partner, will become a spiritual ritual. I am not a promoter of sexual sciences, but I do not want to close my eyes to the reality, and I do not want you to close your eyes. There is a reality to which you are exposed. If that reality is going to send you to hell, then that will be a great tragedy.

Sexual and spiritual communication are not different. Sexual life is not anti-spiritual. If properly conducted by the wise and disciplined, it can be a spiritual springboard to higher realms. You can transcend sex by living into it, by living through it.

Nature has created a system in man’s life, and you must respect it, you must accept it. But that does not prohibit you from becoming a sannyasin with respect for yourself, with faith in what you are doing for your spiritual progress, and with hopes eternal. If both you and your partner sit together in meditation, you can create an energy which will help each other to evolve. Imagine what kind of children you will have. I am proud that my parents were able to live like that. After completing your obligations, having profound spiritual experiences, then you can enter into full sannyasa.

India is the land of the rishis. For thousands of years we have evolved through this heritage. But every nation makes mistakes, and when this rishi heritage became weak, our people became weak also. Now we are not trying to increase the number of sannyasins, but we are trying to improve the quality of mankind.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Oct, 1983)

‘My aim is to improve the individual’s approach to life, to help him discipline himself through the practice of yoga. And many such individuals can create a generation which in turn, will influence the society and help it,’ Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a Swami of the Dashnami Order and an exponent of yoga, says with a benign look.

Twenty five years ago, Swami Satyananda had a vision : to spread the knowledge of yoga ‘from shore to shore and from door to door’. In 1962 he founded the International Yoga Fellowship Movement; two years later, in 1964, came the Bihar School of Yoga on the banks of the Ganges at Munger. This institution has now grown truly international, with branches all over the world.

The Swami believes that yoga is neither a cult nor a religion, ‘Yoga improves the mind, which means a better philosophy, and philosophy is the backbone of every civilisation,’ he says. For him and his school of thought, yoga is the process through which one’s mind is disciplined and through this discipline arises spirituality.

Yoga, according to Swami Satyananda, ‘is a time-tested system which can answer the needs of everyone, whatever these demands be and at whatever level the demands are made- without judgement and prejudice and without care for any barriers’.

The Swami believes that man has moved far away from himself and the solution to this problem lies in man discovering his deeper personality. This rediscovery can be done through the practice of yoga-hatha yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, kriya yoga, raja yoga, etc.

Swami Satyananda has evolved his own brand of yoga, derived from various texts on the subject, tantric knowledge, and self-experimentation, which is all encompassing. Physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of human life-all these ate taken into consideration. The Swami calls this ‘Integral Yoga’.

‘Some people make the mistake of thinking that yoga is a form of exercise, which it is not. It is not a process through which the body sheds of energy. On the contrary, the body and the mind acquire energy through the practise of yoga,’ the Swami says, explaining the misunderstanding most people have about yoga.

The Swami has a practical approach towards the practice of yoga, the stresses of modern existence being of prime importance. He has developed a special form of yoga, ‘yoga nidra’, derived from the ancient practice of nyasa. This form of yoga helps release the stored up negative, emotional stresses of daily modern living.

‘Live your life fully, but live a spiritual life. At the same time, there should be no conflict between the two’, this is the Swami’s advice to his fellow men. And it is probably this no-nonsense business which has kept him out of all the controversies which shroud the other gurus of these days.

The Swami is not a ‘God-man’. He believes in no God except the spiritual power which is omnipotent, ‘If there is one thing which I have been afraid of from my childhood, it is religion, and it is the existence of guilt complexes which is responsible for the existence of religion. Some people, to attain their own goals- the politicians, the insecure- have fed religion to the masses to have support. And the largest support which they can find is in the largest community in the world: the religious community,’ the Swami says.

The Swami is not close to any political quarters, like many of the other ‘Swamis’ but, nevertheless, he made a statement which is very relevant to today’s politics: ‘The sages and mahatmas who have lived in this country, have never preached sectarianism. They have preached enlightenment and spirituality. Had they been here today they would have fought against what is thriving in their name.’

To his thousands of followers – not that he preaches a permanent discipleship – he is simply, ‘Swamiji’ and for the Swamis who stay at his ashram at Munger and abroad, he is a beloved guru. The Swami has blended the ancient with the modern in a very deft manner. His ashrams are a conglomerate of people, some of whom are involved in research into yogic studies, some in simple manual labour, and others attending to administrative works. At the same time, they are all involved in sadhana.

In Calcutta, a branch of the Bihar School of Yoga has been opened at Thana House, N.S.C. Bose Road, Tollygunge. Various yogic classes are held regularly. Recently a ten day course on Yogic Management of Stress and Depression was held at the school.

The publicity-shy Swami Satyananda Saraswati has come a long way from his days of wanderings on the banks of the Ganges. His vision ‘to spread yoga from shore to shore and from door to door’ may not have come fully true, but more and more people are taking notice of his preaching and of his school of yoga.

(The Telegraph, Calcutta, Aug. 27th 1983)

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Oct, 1983)

“I have come a long way to speak to you,” the newcomer said. He was an artist, a painter. He had long hair and delicate hands. Although he spoke slowly and carefully, measuring every word, there was a note of restlessness in his voice.

There were several people in the room. They had come to carry on a conversation started a few days earlier on the meaning and purpose of life. The artist was a newcomer, and he had come alone. With a slight hesitation he began to speak.

“In my life there have been the normal share of lips and downs. I have participated fully in every sphere of life, and really I have no reason to complain. But, nevertheless, I feel that there is something that I have missed out on.

I have begun to question my existence and my relationship with others. I feel an inadequacy of purpose in my life. I have often contemplated sannyasa, but I have a family to look after. I am not yet free of that. Yet, at the same time, I wish to give my life a new impetus, a new direction, and a new goal.

I would like to embark on a spiritual quest, but as a married man with obligations and responsibilities, it seems that all doors are closed to me. Or is there a way out? You see, if this realisation had dawned on me earlier, I would not have burdened myself with family and social commitments. But is it too late now? Where can I start?”

He paused, searching for an answer. He looked young in years, dressed simply with an air of casualness. Swamiji looked directly at him and replied, “There is a solution to every problem. We have only to find a way out. You see, man is born, he grows into an adult, gets married, earns a living, grows old and dies. This is what is happening everywhere. But can we believe that this is the sole purpose for which we live?

“Of course, there are many important factors which determine the life of a man. He is born with certain karma and samskaras, and he has to work them out before he can proceed on his life’s journey. But what is the use of working out one set of karma, and at the same time, building up another set to influence your future life?

Therefore, you have to approach life with great care, proper understanding, and a desire to live a better quality of existence. I have met many people of your age, and also older, who were faced with the same problem. They wanted to improve the quality of their life. Many thought that sannyasa was the answer, but they were unable to adopt that way of life, for they were tied down by responsibilities which they had yet to work through. It seems pointless to abandon your responsibilities and than be ridden with guilt for the rest of your life.”

Outside the sky was dense with clouds. It had rained the night before and the air was fragrant with the smell of wet earth. Swamiji continued, “I feel that if you view your life in the right perspective and make certain adjustments in your thinking, then in that you will find a solution to your problem. The problem is actually very simple. In fact, I even hesitate to call it a problem. Your thirst for the mundane experiences of life is more or less quenched. Your awareness is now growing to another dimension of experience. That experience is related to your evolvement – you may call it mental evolvement, spiritual evolvement or evolvement of consciousness. This has caused a restlessness in your being, for you are not able to adjust or understand how to combine and synthesise your everyday life with a higher, more meaningful existence.

I have given a great deal of thought to this problem. How is it possible to live the life of a householder and yet maintain a balance between the external and internal growth? And it is for this reason that I have reinterpreted the vanaprastha ashrama and adapted it to suit the needs of modern man. In the olden days when a householder or gribastha felt the need to delve deeper into the mysteries of life, he undertook the vanaprastha ashrama, retiring to the forest with his wife. There he spent his time in contemplation and inner reflection.

The vanaprastha ashrama was devised by the saints and sages who could envisage that once man has exhausted his ambitions, passions and desires, he would undoubtedly turn inwards. If, at that time, he is not given the facility, guidance and encouragement to understand his life better, he will develop mental and physical problems, and thus become a hindrance to both himself and society.

However, in today’s world there are no forests in which to live, and it is not practical or even possible to create that situation. So I have introduced the concept of karma sannyasa based on the tradition of vanaprastha ashrama. Many people have already been initiated by me. They had similar problems to yours, and were of all age groups, married and single. Karma sannyasa has worked very well. In fact, wherever I go there are at least twenty to thirty candidates.”

The artist, who had been listening intently to every word, asked Swamiji, “What is karma sannyasa and how do you become a karma sannyasin?”

Swamiji replied, “Karma sannnyasa is ‘inaction in action’. This is the principal philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita. Krishna tells Arjuna, there is no harm in action, the danger lies in attachment and dependence on the fruits of the actions you have performed.

The wise man, even while acting in this world, is not interested in the fruits of his actions. The sense of doership which gives rise to happiness and unhappiness is fictitious. “You are not the doer of any action”, he tells Arjuna, “So why do you assume doership?”

If you can understand this concept and implement it in your life, then you will gradually experience a higher quality of life. That is essentially the philosophy a karma sannyasin has to adopt. Live life fully, participate in all events of life externally, but internally maintain an attitude of non-doership. Do not become inactive, for you will gain nothing. What has to be done, has to be done. Even while doing the actions natural to you, if you are unattached to those actions you are truly the non-doer. On the other hand if you are doing nothing and are attached to that non-doership, then you become the doer.

You see, it is a very intricate philosophy, and it has to be understood in its true light. The change I am talking about is internal. Your external life goes on as it is. You live with your family, work, go on holidays, see movies. In fact, to an outsider you should appear to be the same person. But internally, you will have to do a lot of overhauling. All the changes that are taking place are within you, not outside. Of course, it does not happen overnight, it is a gradual process, but once you are able to grasp the importance of this idea in relation to your life and growth as an individual, you will find the answer to your problem.”

The artist was silent and still pondering deeply on what had been said to him. A lady who had been attending many satsangs, and was herself in search of a new way of life said, “What is the importance of initiation in karma sannyasa ? So, if we are to maintain our external appearance, relationships and lifestyle as it is, is it not at all possible to achieve this inner attitude without being initiated into karma sannyasa?” Swamiji paused for a while, looking out of the window. The clouds had burst into rain. Finally he said, “I was coming to that point. Of course, anyone who has this attitude to life is a karma sannyasin, whether or not he is initiated. But how many are able to say that they are not involved in their actions and can maintain a sense of detachment to the consequences of their actions, whether good or bad? Man is limited by his nature. He tries to overcome his limitations, but very often he fails in his attempt. On account of distractions, confusions in the mind, and a flagging will power, he is at a loss. So, it is important for him to have a guru from whom he can receive initiation. Initiation is not just a mere ritual. It is the transference of the guru’s inspirational energy to the disciple. The disciple then draws on this energy to help him maintain one-pointedness and dedication in his efforts. The guru is there to administer guidance and inspiration, and to check where the disciple is going wrong.

In karma sannyasa it is very difficult for the disciple to maintain a balance between his worldly life and his inner life. Sometimes he may lean too heavily towards his inner quest and overlook his duties towards his family; at other times he may get caught up in the maya of worldly life and its distractions, and his sadhana may suffer. A karma sannyasin has to be very careful on this point. He should strive to maintain a balance.

On the one hand, he is a father, a husband, an employee, a member of society. And on the other hand, he is a seeker of the self, pursuing the goal of truth. Both roles should be complementary and conducive to each other. His performance and progress in spiritual life should enhance his worldly relationships and vice versa. Only then will he find fulfilment.

That is why a guru and initiation are most important for a karma sannyasin. In fact, karma sannyasa is more difficult to maintain than full sannyasa.”

The artist looked up at Swamiji with apprehension, a trifle hesitant, and said, “I have found a great deal of solace in what you have said. It has given me a new and exciting view of life. I feel now that there is a way for me, although I am so enmeshed in the trammels of day to day life. What do I have to do to become a karma sannyasin?”

Swamiji replied, “Approach a guru who can give you initiation and a proper understanding of the life you are about to enter. He will give you a sadhana for yourself. In course of time this sadhana will give you the strength, clarity of mind and correct judgement that you require in your life. He will give you a gem dhoti or a piece of unstitched cloth to wear at the time of sadhana as a symbol of your resolution.

If you wish to receive a spiritual name, he can give you that too. A spiritual name is important for it signifies that which is your real inner nature. The guru has a clear vision of your deeper nature, your karma, your past and present and future. And he gives you a name on that basis. It should be a constant reminder of your destination. Other than this, you continue to live as you have been living. Your relationship with your wife, the food you eat, your lifestyle, go on as they are.”

The artist’s face lit up with a smile and he said, “I was under the impression that I would have to make many changes in my life. It has been most gratifying to speak with you, however there is one last doubt I wish to clarify. What is the importance of celibacy in the life of a karma sannyasin. Does one have to practise it?

Swamiji closed his eyes for a brief moment and then looked up at him and said, “According to Hindu tradition, the relationship between husband and wife forms part of their dharma, and they are bound by it. Just as it is your dharma to serve your parents, in the same way, it is your dharma to abide by the injunctions laid down in the Vedas regarding your relationship with your wife. To go against that would be to go against one’s dharma. Marital relations are not a sin rather they are a stepping stone to higher evolution.

Moreover, after being married for a number of years I think both partners are more or less satiated. The passion/desire neurosis that is experienced before marriage is almost exhausted. What remains is not craving and hankering, but an intimate relationship.

Of course, the practice of celibacy cannot be underestimated, but it has to be spontaneous, authentic and free from suppression. If you find it is not working then your usual relationship should be resumed on the basis of the tantric tradition. The necessary practices for a successful, truthful and rewarding outcome should be learned from the guru. Both partners should do the practices and thus raise the awareness from the gross centres to the higher plane.

The philosophy of karma sannyasa is very simple. Use your life as a householder for a higher purpose, not merely for eating, sleeping and procreating. In time this will produce good samskaras for you and your family, and pave the way for a higher incarnation in your next life. For samskaras, whether good or bad, are carried on from life to life. So we have to be very careful about what samskaras we accumulate.”

The artist said thoughtfully, “My wife was unable to come here with me on account of the children. But she too may wish to join me in this initiation.”

Swamiji rose from his chair, as if to leave the room, and replied, “Wonderful! What could be better than both husband and wife dedicated to a higher quality of life and deciding to tread the same path.”

(Courtesy :  Yoga Magazine, Sep, 1983)

Intellect has always been a great barrier and a great boon for mankind, both at the same time. In discipleship, you have to be innocent like a child, you have to forget the intellect.

In everything we do there is a process of understanding, and this process is of two forms: one is critical, the other is accepting. Critical understanding is the process which is usually adopted by disciples who are highly intellectual. They open up the storeroom of their minds and compare everything with the ‘Why’ attitude. They compare what I am saying with what others have said, with what the books have said, with what their grandfathers have said. They start thinking, ‘Why is Swamiji saying this, when in the scriptures it is written like that, or why is it written in the scriptures like that if Swamiji said like this? And why did Swamiji say this, because in the researches they have found something else.’ So, this critical mind, critical intellect, is also very necessary for those with an intellectual temperament.

You see, there are four different types of people in the world. The first type is defined as a dynamic temperament, the person who is active physically, mentally, emotionally and intellectually. The second type is defined as the emotional or devotional temperament. Such a person has faith, whatever he does, in God and guru. The third type is the intellectual temperament, which is always thinking, comparing and trying to understand why the difference. The fourth type is the mystical temperament. This type of person can meditate twenty four hours of the day without any problem, totally lost in the contemplation of whatever he is doing.

So, for different forms of understanding, different types of methods are adopted by these four different temperaments. The first type, which is dynamic in temperament, will understand things very well, will listen to what you say, will do everything, and file it all away in the memory storehouse for future reference, if there is any need. If it is all insignificant jargon, then he will simply pass it out from the other ear and that is the end of it. The second type is of mystical temperament. Whatever you say he will take it as a guidance, as a help, for his evolution. The third type is the emotional person. He uses the intellect as a means to develop, to further, to transcend his own emotions. The fourth type, the intellectual person, uses the intellect in a positive way, as a gyana yogi, and in a negative way, as a critical yogi; and they are both acceptable.

In the process of sadhana temperament is important, depending on what type of sadhana you are doing and on who is guiding you, because really this question is of a personal nature. So, for each person there will be a different process. In general, when you are involved in a particular sadhana which is given by your guru, you have to try hard not to use the intellect. Sometimes the intellect does pop up in the middle; it can make you say, ‘Oh, why am I doing this; I am not really getting anywhere,’ or ‘It is all a waste,’ or ‘What I have been doing is wrong according to different people.’ It is something which has to be understood and clarified by you at a later stage.

When you become aware, when you have gone beyond the level of intellect, then you can say to yourself, “The practices, the sadhana that I am doing needs to be done by developing childlike qualities, and not many qualities,’ because before our evolutionary process, we are all children no matter how intellectually evolved we are.

Einstein was highly evolved intellectually, but his final statement was ‘I do not understand anything’. So in many ways, you have to become the Einstein. The same thing applies to Mira Bai, Kabir and Tulsidas. They were very well versed in all forms of knowledge, but they chose one path, the path of simplicity, and overcame their intellect. Today my suggestion is that although you may find difficulties with your mind, with your intellect, try not to worry about it, but take it light heartedly.

(Recorded at Ganga-Darshan, Teacher Training Course on 21.3.83)

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Sep, 1983)