In the traditional idea of Shakti we find a blending of two elements, one empirical and the other speculative. On the empirical side the idea of Shakti is associated with cosmogony. It has been the un-contradicted experience of man from the dawn of understanding that there cannot be any origination whatsoever without the union of the two principles of Shiva and Shakti, the Male and Female aspects. The human analogy was naturally extended to the universe as a whole, and thus we came to the concept of the primordial Father and Mother.

In India, from the age of the Indus civilisation of Harappa and Mohanjoi-daro down to the present, the Father God is represented by a linga (the male symbol) and the Mother Goddess by the yoni (the female symbol). This conceptual representation of Shiva and Shakti by the linga-yoni is quite common and in many temples the two are worshipped in their symbolic form. In both Hindu and Buddhist literature the lord (male deity) is symbolically represented by a white dot (shveta bindu) thus suggesting the likeness with semen, while the devi (female deity) is symbolically represented by a red dot (rakta bindu) to suggest the analogy with menstrual blood containing the ovum.

Philosophy

From the speculative side it was observed that everything which existed, did so by virtue of its power or powers. So God who exists as the creator, preserver and destroyer of the universe must possess infinite power through which He creates, maintains and destroys. In. fact, His very being presupposes infinite power by virtue of which He himself exists. This belief is a universal one. Tantrics tend to view this power or universal energy as something like a female counterpart of the possessor of the power. Shakti, being conceived as the counterpart of the possessor (Shiva), came to be recognised as the consort of Shiva.

This is responsible for the fact that, not only in the Shakti tradition (believers in Shakti in whatever form as the supreme deity) but in almost all other traditions – the Saivas (believers in Shiva as the supreme) the Sauras (believers in the Sun), the Ganapatyas (believers in Ganesha), and the Vaishnavas (believers in Vishnu) – an important place is occupied by Shakti. There is seldom a god or demi-god for whom a consort is not conceived as an inseparable shakti.

A strong belief in this Shakti has brought about a popular synthesis among philosophies like Sankhya, Vedanta, Vaishnavism and Tantra. Sankhya speaks of ‘Purusha’ and ‘Prakriti’ as two independent and ultimate realities whose interaction is a mere attribute resulting from the contact of the two. In the Puranas and other literature. Prakriti is plainly conceived of as being the female counterpart of Purusha, and as such the two realities have been practically identified with the Shakti and Shiva of the Tantras. In a similar manner the principle of Maya (illusion) has been conceived as the Shakti of Brahman, These pairs were later viewed in the form of Vishnu and his Shakti, Lakshmi: of Sita and Ram, and later of Radha and Krishna. Thus, in popular belief, Shiva-Shakti of the Tantras, Purusha-Prakriti of Sankhya, Brahman-Maya of Vedanta, and Vishnu-Lakshmi, Sita-Ram and Radha-Krishna of Vaishnavism, all mean the same.

The philosophy of Shakti is clearly suggested by the two passages in the Brihadaranyak Upanishad (1:4, 1:3) where it is said that in the beginning was the Cosmic Being as the Atman in human form, who could never feel satisfied and content for he was all alone. So he desired a complementary aspect. His being was something like a natural point where the ultimate principles of male and female lay unified as it were in a deep embrace. He divided himself into two, male and female, which formed the first pair, and all the pairs of creation are said to be the replicas of this original pair.

These passages of the Brihadaranyak Upanishad have been used extensively in the Puranas, Tantras and later Buddhist and Vaishnava Sahajiya in which Shakti played an important part. Whatever has been created in this phenomenal process has been created from the union of the two- energy and matter, the consumer and the consumed. They represent the two aspects of the one non-dual truth, one internal and the other external; one illuminating, unchangeable and immortal and the other obstructive, gross and perishable.

Distinct mention of the various powers of God is found in the Swetaswatar Upanishad, in which it is said “‘Various powers are heard of this Brahman. It possesses power as knowledge and power as force or activity by virtue of its very nature.” (6:8). “Know Maya (the unspeakable mysterious power) as Prakriti and the possessor of the Maya as the Great Lord Maheshwara (a name of Shiva)” (4:10). “He who is one and colourless brings forth various colours through the agency of his various types of powers” (4:1), The possessor of Maya created the universe, and beings are fettered by his Maya.

Vaishnavism & Shaivism

The elaboration of this Shakti-vada is to be found in most of the Puranas, Upa-Puranas, samhitas and mainly in the Tantras, both Hindu and Buddhist. There is no systematic discussion on the philosophy of Shakti in the Puranas, even in the Markan day a Purana, which contains the Chandi, the most important text of the Mother worshippers in India; discussion on Shakti in the Puranas is sporadic and scrappy. The main discussions are found in Tantric literatures. So far as the Hindu tantras are concerned, they seem to have flourished in the two borders of India-Kashmir in the north-western border and Bengal, the easternmost province.

So far as the tantric literature of Bengal is concerned, scholars are disposed to think that none of these texts were composed earlier than the 10th century A.D. The tradition of the tantras in Kashmir seems to be earlier. The well-known Trika school of Kashmir Shaivism seems to have derived many of its ideas from the earlier tantras of Kashmir, some of which have been quoted and referred to in important texts of Shaivism. The Kashmir school of Shaivism most probably flourished between the 9th and 10th century A.D.

Some of the tantric texts must have been composed earlier but it has to be noted that some of the Samhita texts belonging to the Pancharatna school of Vaishnavism (sometimes referred to in the Trika school of Kashmir Shaivism) were composed earlier than the Shaivite texts, and the Ahirabudhya Samhita, belonging to the Pancharatna school, contains a good exposition of the philosophy of Shakti, though of course of Shakti as associated with Vishnu and not Shiva.

It has been said in this text that the ultimate being has two aspects, one of which is the inactive or negative state, where all his creative impulses lie dormant within Him, and the whole universe lies infinitely contracted in. Him as a mere possibility and potency. This negative state may be said to be a state of nothingness. Even in this state there is Shakti, but she remains perfectly absorbed in the Lord, as if in a union of deep embrace. With the urge of the first creative impulse, there comes from within the Lord, a determination (sankalpa), which results in his ‘willing’. This ‘willing’ of the Lord may be recognised as the first vibration of the Shakti – the first cosmic rhythm in the absolutely calm and quiet ocean.

When Shakti first wakes from her absorption in deep embrace, into the first vibration of activity, she acquires something like independence and tends to manifest herself in her triple functions of ‘willing’ (icchha), ‘knowing’ (jnana), and ‘activity’ (kriya), These three functions are symbolised by the inverted triangle, yantra of the Mother Goddess. Sometimes it Is held that Shakti is nothing but a figurative representation of the Lord, for the power cars never be viewed as being a separate entity from the agent that possesses the power.

The rise or awakening of Shakti therefore means the awakening of the Lord from his infinitely contracted state to the state of full-fledged ‘I-ness’. Shakti is thus the full ‘I-ness’ of the Lord. Her nature is infinite bliss. This Shakti can again be viewed in two of her aspects – the internal aspect in which she coexists with and is in the Lord (samavayini shakti), and the external aspect in which she, as Prakriti, and the repository of the three natural qualities, manifests herself as the external universe.

According to the tantric texts of Kashmir also, Shakti inheres in the Ultimate Being as a latent potency of infinite possibilities, as a seed of the future worlds, mobile and immobile. As the Ultimate Being is real and eternal, so is Shakti, who is coexistent with Him. The awakening of Shakti is something like a self-projection of the ‘I-ness’ of God which is accompanied by an internal process of self creation.

Shiva and Shakti

There are different views on the relation of Shiva and Shakti as propounded in the Puranas and Tantras. One view holds that neither Shiva nor Shakti represents the absolute truth; that the absolute reality is a State of neutrality where Shiva and Shakti remain in a state of perfect union (yamala). This is called the ‘samarasya’, where all things become one in a unity of blissful realisation. Shiva and Shakti ate two aspects of the one truth – the static and dynamic, the negative and the positive, the abstract and the concrete, the male and the female.

Another view holds Shiva as the Ultimate Being to whom Shakti eternally belongs. Nevertheless, neither Shiva nor Shakti is ‘real’ without the other. As Shakti cannot be conceived of without Shiva, so also Shiva becomes ‘shava’ (dead) without Shakti. The two are therefore eternally and inseparably connected.

A third view considers Shakti as the highest truth and Shiva as the best support for Shakti. Shakti is more important as ‘the contained’, while Shiva is the ‘container’. Shakti is the all-creating, all-preserving and all-destroying power of which Shiva is the adhara (base).

In some of the Puranas the male deity, as the Shaktimat (the possessor of Shakti) has been described as the male aspect of the Ultimate Truth which is Shakti. It is from this point of view that the Mother worshippers would give a subsidiary place to Shiva, where the Shakti as Mother is taken to be the highest object of adoration. In this, her sovereign majesty, the Goddess, is sometimes called Lalita Devi from whom the male deity proceeds as a transformation of her own self. Apart from this conception of the Goddess, Lalita often stands as the general Mother Goddess of India. She is called Tripurasundari in the Tantras.

Puranas: Chandi Saptashati

Shakti as the Great Mother and highest truth has found an elaborate exposition in the Devi Mahatmya, (Glory of the Goddess) of the Markandeya Purana, and this portion of the Purana, comprising thirteen chapters, is regarded as the most sacred text of Mother worshippers and is known as Chandi or Durga Saptashati. Here the goddess is seen as Devi and becomes well known later as Durga. The name Durga has been variously interpreted in Puranic and Tantric literature which means she is the Mother Goddess who saves us from all sorts of misery and affliction, from all dangers and difficulties. She is also known as Chandi the fierce goddess as she incarnates whenever occasion demands, for the purpose of destroying the asuras (demons) who may threaten mental peace and the heavenly domain of the divine beings.

Durga is the Mother Goddess whose worship during the Autumn is a most celebrated one. She is also worshipped as Annapurna or Annada (goddess of corn and food). In Autumn she is also worshipped as Jagadhatri (the maintainer of the world). During the Spring she is Vasanti (Goddess of Spring). In some Of the Puranas Devi is said to be worshipped by 108 names in 108 sacred places (in the Matsya Purana, chapter 13, it is said that, though she is all-pervading and underlies all forms, the devotee desirous of attaining perfection should worship her in different places).

In the Devi Kavacha of the Chandi, the Devi as Nawadurga is described as Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda Skandamata, Kutyayani, Mahagauri and Siddhidatri. Other forms of Shakti are Chamunda (seated on a corpse), Varahi (on a buffalo), Aindri (on an elephant), Vaishnavi (on the bird Garuda), Maheswari (on a bull), Kaumari (on a peacock), Lakshmi (on a lotus), Ishwar (on a bull) and Brahmi (on a swan). Many of the Shaktis are associated with different godheads, such as Varahi, Shakti of Varaha (the boar-god), Narasimhi of Narasimha (the man-lion god).

Some Shakti forms are also found within the Buddhist tradition. For instance, Tara, a popular Indian goddess, is also a famous Buddhist goddess, while Chhinnamasta may be compared to Vajrayogini of the Buddists.

The story of Chandi first introduces Shakti as the principle of great illusion (mahamaya) which prevents us from viewing the things of life and the world around us in their true perspective. It creates in the mind a fierce attachment to the world and thus binds us down to a lower plane of existence. But where does the principle of objective illusion originate? It is an aspect of the same divine power which is responsible for the creative process, and which is shaping the universe eternally to its end. It was there as one with the Supreme Being even when the cosmos was not, and it remains there absorbed in the existence of the Supreme Being even after the dissolution, as a potency, a seed of future creative manifestation. It has its sway, not only on all animates but also on the Supreme Being, and in connection with the latter it is called Yogamaya, the maya which is a direct part of the Lord.

Mahamaya, as the Mahashakti, remains absolutely inactive at the time of dissolution and this inactivity of the Shakti lulls the Supreme Being lo profound sleep in the ocean of causal potency. She is the Mahakali since she contracts eternal time (kala) within her and from her time proceeds again as an endless flow of creative vibration. It is incorrect to consider this power as being spiritual alone. She is ‘The’ power – spiritual, mental, intellectual, physiological and biological. Whatever exists is due to Her; whatever works, works due to Her.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Jan, 1991)

No spiritual emblem is more closely associated with the path of yoga than the rudraksha mala or rosary. Rudraksha beads are synonymous with Lord Shiva, the overlord of the current reawakening of yogic science around the world. Similarly, no single tree is as rich with scriptural references, spiritual myths and legends as the rudraksha. Its berries, which are said to represent the tears of Rudra, have long been sought for their supposed medicinal and magical properties.

The Rudrajabalopanishad tells us that Lord Shiva was in the state of meditation for many thousands of years. When he opened his eyes from his prolonged samadhi, he beheld the whole vast sufferings and pangs of the unenlightened beings enmeshed in their struggle and confusion, and lacking any way of recognising their plight and the possibility of evolving themselves out of these seemingly insurmountable difficulties. Out of compassion, tears came to his eyes, and these fell to the earth giving rise to a tree called Maharudraksha. Rudra is the name given to Shiva in his destructive aspect and in Sanskrit it means ‘howl’ or ’cause of tears’.

The physical form

The botanical classification of the rudraksha tree is genus Eleocarpus, family Eleocarpaceae. Over 300 distinct species of rudraksha have been recognised, but of these only six are common. Rudraksha, in the form of large trees or smaller bushes, is found in Tibet, Nepal, India, China, Java, Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia and Mauritius.

The rudraksha tree flowers in the rainy season, the flowers being white and hermaphroditic. Rudraksha trees usually first bear fruit after about five years, but Some take up to twenty years to do so. The fruit appears in the months of November and December and the seeds lie concealed in the centre, covered with a bluish-purple pulp.

The making of a bija

Preparation of rudraksha beads must be carried out in a particular way. The seeds are sun cured and the outer skin is torn away, revealing the round, oval or almond-shaped seed often with adhering strands of pulp. This pulp is removed by boiling in water mixed with lime (sodium bicarbonate).

The seeds must then be further cured by soaking in various precious oils, including almond oil mixed with musk, and oil from sacred trees. Finally, the prepared beads are roasted in the smoke of a sacred fire in which seven different sacred woods have been consumed. Afterwards, ghee may be used to harden the beads and black ash from the fire may be rubbed into the seeds as well.

Quality and classification

The best quality of rudraksha beads are divided into crescent-shaped sections, like the segment of an orange. These segments are referred to a ‘mukhas’ or faces, and its significance is determined by the number. Multi-faced beads are commonly divided into 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 22 mukhis, although rare aberrations which provide more faces are found.

According to ‘Yoga Sara’, spiritual attributes and powers corresponding to the gods abide in the beads according to the number of faces or mukhis. This determines the suitable mantras to be recited upon the mala and the particular value of the mala for the wearer.

The single faced rudraksha (ekamukhi) is considered to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva himself. According to one legend, every year Lord Shiva endows three such seeds to the world- one passes to his most precious devotee, the second to a political leader, king or statesman, while the third is kept by the Lord himself. It is rare and precious and carries the properties of all other rudrakshas. Whoever wears it will be absolved of sin, and if self-control is practised, he becomes one with the absolute (pure consciousness). It bestows both pleasure (kama) and liberation (moksha).

The two-faced rudraksha is considered sacred to Ardhanarishwara, who is hermaphroditic, (half Shiva- the male principle and half Parvati- the female principle). This reflects the tantric conception of the divine personality possessing both male and female attributes which are deserving of worship. The seed is also known as Gauri Shankara and makes possible the attainment of all desires and wishes. It bestows concentration and one-pointedness of mind, confers tantric powers, and brings peace in conjugal life, and facilitates the awakening of kundalini shakti in serious sadhaks.

The five-faced (pancha mukhi) is the most common and readily available type of rudraksha. It is worn by religious devotees, sadhus, yogis and swamis alone. It is sacred to Shiva as Kaala-asi (kalagni), destroyer of Yama, god of death. It symbolises Lord Shiva in his five aspects or panchabrahma (Sadyajata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusha and Ishana); and is said to ward off the five heinous actions (panchamahapataka). According to Shiva Purana, ‘It is lordly. It bestows all sorts of salvation and achievement of all desired objects’!

The bija mantras for wearing rudraksha beads, according to the number of mukhis, is as follows: (1) Om hring namah, (2) Om namah, (3) Om kling namah, (4) Om hring namah, (5) Om hring namah, (6) Om hring hrang namah, (7) Om hrung namah, (8) Om hrang namah, (9) Om hring hrung namah, (10) Om hring namah, (11) Om hring hrung namah, (12) Om krong kshang rong namah. (13) Om hring namah, (14) Om namah.

In psychological terms, the different mukhis act as voltage regulators, determining the intensity and frequency of the current of spiritual energy drawn from cosmic sources and integrated into the psychic personality of the individual wearer. This depends upon the personal attributes, samskaras and level of evolution, and the type and number to be worn.

Rudraksha beads can be of five colours and were worn according to one’s caste. According to Rudrojabalopanishad, white beads are produced only in heaven and are to be worn only by gods; brown beads should be worn by brahmins; red beads are for kshatriyas, yellow beads are for vaishyas and black beads are for sudras. The most highly prized are white, followed by red, then golden, black and brown. The first and third varieties are rare, so the traditional association with each caste is not on a basis of value or rarity.

Sometimes red and black are not the natural colours, but are produced after soaking the beads in oil-dyes during the preserving process.

Blood pressure and rudraksha

Rudraksha occupies a unique place in the Hindu Materia Medica. It has always been considered to possess properties which prevent ageing, prolong life and rejuvenate the human organism.

Rudraksha beads are recognised as antipyretic (will lower elevated body temperature), anti-helminthic (ridding the body of worms), and anti-paralysant. They help their wearer to maintain a perfect balance between the three vital airs- namely bile, wind and phlegm.

The major physiological influence of rudraksha on the human body is to control the blood pressure. This is very important, not only for those with hypertension and hypotension, but also for those who wish to meditate successfully. This is because the blood pressure changes during meditation and people can have experiences which they mistake as spiritual; or feel heat or cold in the body; or even feel irritability.

Physiologically, this is how rudraksha works. In the side of the neck there is a group of pressure sensitive cells called baroreceptors. They continually monitor the changing blood pressure accompanying each cardiac impulse, and relay this information to the vasomotor centre in the base of the brain. This centre makes any minute adjustments in heart rate and cardiac output, which enables a constant blood pressure to be maintained. At the time of meditation, when rudraksha is worn in contact with the baroreceptors, control over the cardiac impulse is enhanced so that variations do not occur and meditation is not disturbed by these transitory influences.

Therefore, upon the basis of their own clinical experience, doctors, healers and physicians of every healing science in India today, routinely prescribe the wearing of rudraksha as an adjuvant in controlling blood pressure and managing heart disorders.

Further medicinal uses

Various species of Eleocarpus are utilised in many traditional systems of healing. For example, an infusion of bark and leaves is used as a mouthwash for inflamed gums. The fruit, which is high in citric acid, is used in some organic brain disorders, pneumonia, ulcers, dysentery and diarrhoea, and as an emetic. The leaves are high in vitamin C content and are used for rheumatism and as an antidote for poison. A bark decoction is also used for rheumatism, indigestion and bileousness. The seeds are used, again for rheumatism, typhoid fever and epilepsy. Sufferers from smallpox, chickenpox or leprosy may be given the paste derived by rubbing the dried fruit or seed on a stone.

The Atharva Veda, puranas and Upanishads delineate curative and healing properties of each type of bead, but expert advice should be sought before using any of these methods.

Spiritual significance

In spiritual life, the rudraksha mala is received from the guru at the time of initiation. When received from a guru, such a mala is of infinite value, and no price can be set for it. Perhaps its value can best be assessed as all you have or can offer to the guru forever, be it in the form of service, prayers, devotion, money, material goods or everything. In fact, a mala worn without the blessings of a guru, or saint is considered ineffectual or even detrimental to its wearer, as such a mala has been purchased for ego gratification, while the mala is intended to eradicate the ego of a sincere aspirant.

The number of rudraksha beads worn is variable. According to the scriptures, the benefits attained by wearing 1100 beads cannot be described in thousands of years. ‘Let those who have faith wear 3 beads in the top knot, 6 in each ear, 12 round each wrist, 36 over the crown of the head, 32 or 27 tightly around the neck, and 108 as a garland. They will surely attain Rudrahood’, enjoins the Rudrojabalopanishad.

Rudraksha should be worn by all those who wish for both pleasure (kama) and liberation (moksha) in life, and especially by devotees of Shiva or his consort, Kali, Uma, Parvati Devi, enjoin the scriptures. It is equally venerated by householders engaged in active worldly life in order to work out their karma.

Other tantras claim that the wearer of the rudraksha mala will obtain riddhi (psychic prosperity). Rudraksha mala is also used in various sadhanas for repetition of mantras, charms and incantations, and as a protective armour against ill-luck, accidents and diseases.

Kundalini tradition

In the tradition of kundalini yoga, rudraksha is symbolic of the ajna chakra (bhrumadhya), the seat of spiritual insight and intuition. By virtue of kriya yoga, or by force of long and vigorous austerities, the emotional and reproductive energies are redirected upwards within the body of a yogi. The ‘seed’ commonly released through the urethral meatus of a man is transmuted by the practices of yoga into the more subtle secretions of the regenerated pineal and pituitary glands in the brain itself.

This transcendental ‘seed’ of Lord Shiva is then released in the world by the sages, yogis and masters as their compassionate works and actions having a far reaching influence upon the evolution and destiny of mankind as a whole. Rudraksha is the symbol of this transmutation of sexual energy into spiritual energy within the yogi’s nervous system, and its subsequent ejection from the third eye (ajna chakra) as tears of divinely inspired, compassionate, intuitive and spiritual action for the evolution of our race.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, March, 1983)

In the ashram we have so many children. I too was a child when I first came here, and we were never given formal teaching or education. We did not have any text books to study, although now there are so many spiritual comics and other books which the children read. The children are also coming from schools where they were studying in first, second, third, fourth or fifth grade. But at the time when I came to the ashram, most of the children were illiterate, they did not know a letter. Not only myself, there were others too. And we all received our education, the best that we could get, at the feet of Guru Deva. By his grace and by our open button, we got everything in record time.

Of course, in those days, we were more respectful and we did not use so much slang and abusive talk as the children do today. But sometimes we did, and no one reprimanded us for it. No one told us what to speak and what not. Likewise today, the ashram children are allowed to develop in an atmosphere free from suppression. No one tells them how to behave. Even if they speak in an abusive manner, no one will stop them. In fact, Swamiji often instructs the children to abuse or tease certain aspirants in order to bring them out or to chip away their ego. The ashram children are encouraged to express themselves fully and to be independent. We do not even make any suggestions, we just try to keep everything open for them. We consider that the child must be right, and so far as we have seen, the children know best.

Even in regard to sannyasa, children were always most successful as far as history goes. Consider Suka Dev, Adi Shankaracharya, Prahalad or Dhruva. They were more successful than those sadhaks who retired to the forest in later life with husband or wife and took sannyasa.

Even in the present day the sannyasins who come for sannyasa at a later age, experience so much difficulty adapting to this way of life. They arrive with their set behaviour and living patterns and their set faith and belief. But in sannyasa these things have to be renounced. Unless you can renounce them, the cloth of renunciation has no meaning. Shaving the head and giving up the family life do not make a sannyasin. Worldly people also leave home. They go to England, America, Japan; or to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra or Bengal. Sometimes they don’t return at all.

In sannyasa, however, there is a certain purpose in renunciation of family and social ties. That is why, once the sannyasin has left, it is for good, and there is no more correspondence. Of course, householders may go away for a long time, but they still correspond and keep the memory. This is the difference. In sannyasa one must try to forget the past life completely. This is why renunciation comes quite naturally to the children. They live in the present moment and there is so little for them to remember or to forget.

In the ashram the very first instruction that one receives is that the body is a vehicle for the enlightened soul. As such it is neither male nor female. Definitely older people come to spiritual life with so much knowledge, but they are too conscious about male and female. This applies to the sannyasins as well as the householders. In our country the little children are constantly reminded that they are a boy or a girl and that it is necessary to keep apart. People say since you are a girl, it is necessary to do this, or if you are a boy, you must do that. But for sannyasa, first of all you must forget that this body is male or female. Then only can you have the correct feeling for others. Sannyasins must regard all as pure self, without any consideration for the body.

In the ashram no one will say to the children, ‘Hey, you are a boy, why do you sit with a girl? It is not good.’ We do not wish to remind the children or to reinforce in any way the idea that they are boy or girl It is our aim simply to remind them that they are sannyasins, A sannyasin is a sannyasin and that is all. They have to unfold themselves and realise the light.

Similarly, sannyasins should not be continually plied with questions about their parents or native place. Some people say, ‘Hey Brother, come here’. But we are not brothers. This belongs to the Christian tradition. Sannyasins are not part of any religious order. We have renounced religion. Similarly, if the sannyasin is elderly people call her ‘Mataji’ or ‘Mummy’. However, this is also not correct. It brings up the same family samskara which has to be renounced. Such feeling or identification has to be removed from the personality altogether.

Therefore, do not speak to the sannyasins as though they were your relatives. Sannyasins should have no feeling of mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter. You should address them with reverence by their spiritual names which they have received from the guru as his blessing and prasad. That name is not just for the body, it is something which the guru gives to arouse our inner potential, to remind us of him.

This is an important point to remember with all the sannyasins and especially with the children. When you call them by their spiritual name, even if they don’t remember their inner self, they will at least be reminded of the guru, and through that they can remember the purpose of their life. Therefore, in the ashram, we never call the child beta or beti (son or daughter), we call them by their spiritual name with reverence.

(Courtesy : Yoga Magazine, Feb, 1983)

“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)